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The Great Train Robbery
The Great Train Robbery
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The Great Train Robbery

The Great Train Robbery

1903
Crime, Action
Short Film
11m
The clerk at the train station is assaulted and left tied by four men, then they rob the train threatening the operator. (They) take all the money and shoot a passenger when trying to run away. A little girl discovers the clerk tied and gives notice to the sheriff, who at once goes along with his men hunting the bandits. (imdb)

Directed by:

Edwin S. Porter

Screenwriter:

Edwin S. Porter, Scott Marble

Starring:

John Manus Dougherty Sr., Morgan C. Jones, Justus D. Barnes, Frank Hanaway, Adam Charles Hayman, A.C. Abadie, Walter Cameron, Gilbert M. 'Broncho Billy' Anderson, Marie Murray, Donald Gallaher, George Barnes, Mary Snow

Genres:

Crime, Action, Western

Country:

USA

Language:

English
imdb IMDb
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The Great Train Robbery

1903
Crime, Action
Short Film
11m
Your probable score
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer
Avg Percentile 52.96% from 963 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

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bownBown
Rated 15 Sep 2010
62
13th
"The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford" if made by Bela Tarr. Then sped up a lot.
Rated 15 Sep 2010
pickpocketPickpocket
Rated 01 Aug 2008
7
68th
I love this kind of stuff. It hasn't aged well but can we expect it to? Everyone should find this on youtube and watch it.
Rated 01 Aug 2008
farzanFarzan
Rated 13 Aug 2007
74
66th
A real treat. I don't understand why people say it isn't enjoyable.
Rated 13 Aug 2007
barthalenBarthalen
Rated 26 Oct 2011
71
59th
On the one hand, the static way of filmmaking limits the impact of the visuals. On the other hand, one of the robbers pummels the shit out of the driver and throws him off the moving train. That's straight up hardcore.
Rated 26 Oct 2011
doctor7doctor7
Rated 05 Sep 2008
77
66th
Yes now it's laughable but it's historically essential viewing for any film buff. It's crazy to see how films made even today still have been inspired by scenes in this film. No I can't say it's aged well but I can say that it's short enough to not outstay it's welcome, even today, so it's still well worth seeing.
Rated 05 Sep 2008
anomalyAnomaly
Rated 21 Dec 2010
75
59th
This and A Trip to the Moon really brought narratives to great importance. Some sense of oddness prevails stemming from the lack of modern editing which we are conditioned to (i.e. closeups, more then one take per scene) but it's still a whole bunch of fun. Spawned a bunch of action and western cliches that pervade to this day, and is an interesting historical artifact.
Rated 21 Dec 2010
omgfridgeomgfridge
Rated 20 Jan 2010
8
79th
Very iconic. Its a 10 minute video on youtube away from being watched so why not?
Rated 20 Jan 2010
tathieltathiel
Rated 20 Jan 2010
81
73rd
Very innovative at its time, 8 years after the first films by the Lumiere brothers. Its technical innovations are cross-cutting, double exposure, camera movement and on-location-shooting. It also contains all the classical elements a 'good' Western needs to have.
Rated 20 Jan 2010
shmendrekShmendrek
Rated 26 Sep 2007
4
83rd
Extremely important film in the history of cinema.
Rated 26 Sep 2007
magbMagb
Rated 20 Feb 2007
75
50th
One of the first films with a complex and coherent narrative stretching across many scenes, The Great Train Robbery is essential viewing for anyone who wants to learn about the origins of cinema. Even though more than a century has passed since it was made, the film still manages to entertain.
Rated 20 Feb 2007
obdurateObdurate
Rated 02 Feb 2023
85
81st
Given this was 120 years ago, it's still pretty fucking cool. It's shot well, there's a lot of care, and above all else, it's actually exciting because it packs a lot into the 10 minutes. I mean, these robbers are brutal and then they get their comeuppance in a fitting way.
Rated 02 Feb 2023
nathan_sNathan S
Rated 27 Sep 2022
4
74th
It doesn't matter that it's not actually the first narrative, action, or western film. It matters because it's among the most enduring relics of cinema's earliest period, one which remains genuinely engaging, and it's fun to consider just how scantly removed this film is from the genre mythology. In 1903 the outlaw frontier wasn't so distant a memory.
Rated 27 Sep 2022
timecapsuleTimeCapsule
Rated 17 Feb 2019
60
50th
Despite being historically significant and admittedly surprisingly entertaining, this early narrative short suffers from my personal aversion to Westerns. Although filmed in the woods of New Jersey, something about that combination of hats and mustaches makes my sleepy. Personal hang-ups aside, this should be remade as a comedy where idiot robbers accidentally hold-up an orphan train leaving NYC and begrudgingly take the gaggle of children under their wings and form the most adorable gang ever.
Rated 17 Feb 2019
hiromiyamotohiromiyamoto
Rated 26 Sep 2016
89
59th
I think it holds up rather well, although considering how far we have come as a collective filmgoing culture. For instance, we don't really find the shot of the robber shooting at the audience all that terrifying or exciting. Also, some of the jump cuts are very poorly timed. I'd like to give them credit, but at this same time over in France, Georges Melies is doing some dynamite work. On the other hand, Melies worked in a studio, and this was mostly done on location. Still, pretty impressive.
Rated 26 Sep 2016
misterlizardmisterlizard
Rated 25 Jun 2016
70
72nd
Rated for my enjoyment of the film. It's a fun short with decent narrative and action. Obviously as a piece of cinema history it deserves much higher. Often watching historically important pieces of cinematic history feels like an academic pursuit, but thanks to the narrative and pace this is actually quite fun.
Rated 25 Jun 2016
lisa_iilisa-
Rated 02 Jul 2014
3
30th
very impressive direction for such an early film. it's coherent and precise. but it's also pretty uninteresting, and heralded an extremely uninteresting genre. a trip to the moon was much more inspired.
Rated 02 Jul 2014
heliophageHeliophage
Rated 10 Nov 2013
86
97th
An improbably huge leap forward for Porter and film editing in general. It's really amazing how well the continuity and flow hold up when you compare this to every single thing that existed before it. Also, strikingly good framing for Porter (he was always freer with the camera outdoors than on a set), some nice use of matte shots and one rather memorable stop trick, and all sorts of excitement. No wonder it was such a sensation when it came out.
Rated 10 Nov 2013
mwgerbmwgerb
Rated 13 May 2011
50
43rd
It's important, and it was a milestone, but that doesn't make it great. That being said, it's still a decent short. It's just got a lot of flaws, not least of which is its inability to portray realistic deaths.
Rated 13 May 2011
frostyFrosty
Rated 20 Jan 2010
40
17th
To give this movie a good score is because it's old is frankly belittling to any movie that is 'old' - take it for what it is. A halfway decent short that has a couple of neat gimmicks. Le Voyage dans le Lune came out a year earlier and is a finer piece of work.
Rated 20 Jan 2010
kmcneilKMcNeil
Rated 24 Nov 2008
8
84th
The story of cinema unfolding before your eyes.
Rated 24 Nov 2008
fredericg54frederic_g54
Rated 18 Nov 2008
7
58th
Trivia I found: The final shot is homaged in Martin Scorsese's "Goodfellas" when Joe Pesci's character fires a gun into the camera (and at the audience) at the end of the movie. Well what do ya know ? This is a guilty pleasure for filmlovers, but still a great short for everyone else. Beautiful score aswell (well, the version I saw). Go see it !!!
Rated 18 Nov 2008
cagedwisdomcagedwisdom
Rated 01 Sep 2008
50
38th
Probably the first film with an actual plot that resembles modern film enough to still be watchable and enjoyable not only because it's laughably bad. This is Porter's most important film, and it's a landmark in movie history. Invents techniques in editing that are used still today.
Rated 01 Sep 2008
parcalihamparcaliham
Rated 21 May 2008
70
42nd
21 Mayis 08 & sessiz film olmasina ragmen karisik bir senaryosu var.yani bir sekilde curetkar olmayi basarmis.ilk western filmi olarak kabul ediliyor.sonunda adamin kameraya dogru -bize dogru- silahi ateslemesi, kim bilir 1903 yilinda izleyenler icin nasil bir duyguydu.korkup, korkmadiklarini merak ediyorum :)
Rated 21 May 2008
dvicknabbDVicknabb
Rated 17 Mar 2008
78
43rd
Rather good for its age.
Rated 17 Mar 2008
ytadelYtadel
Rated 19 Nov 2007
6
71st
The "Speed" of its era. Get Keanu Reeves in here, only he can save the day.
Rated 19 Nov 2007
alex_watkinsAlex Watkins
Rated 27 Aug 2007
3
38th
Not really sure how to rate this movie, so I just went with my gut instinct, seems about right. It's entertaining, obviously a landmark and revolutionary, all that jazz, but it's undeniably been ravaged by time. Still, pretty solid and even if you hate it...hey, it's 12 minutes, suck it up.
Rated 27 Aug 2007
peaceanarchyPeaceAnarchy
Rated 22 Apr 2007
71
29th
Essential viewing and certainly watchable, but really shows it's age. Outside of historical importance it's nothing really special.
Rated 22 Apr 2007
rotaciravrotacirav
Rated 01 Nov 2024
40
19th
I would have expected the robbers to get away with it on grounds of realism, if I didn’t know this was a time when even porn generally tacked on a moral ending. What I didn’t expect was to see people forcing someone to dance by shooting at his feet, not as the bandits being shown for how bad they are, but as locals having innocent fun before bringing the bandits to mob justice. America. I must underline karamazov.’s advice to watch these with Throbbing Gristle on instead of plinkplonk piano.
Rated 01 Nov 2024
velvet_croweVelvet Crowe
Rated 24 Feb 2023
54
54th
Most watch this out of historical curiosity, but I think it's kind of a cool watch just in terms of how it executes shot composition into a coherent plotline. But aside from that, it's a pretty stock outline of a train robbery and there isn't much of note otherwise.
Rated 24 Feb 2023
heynicefilmHeyNiceFilm
Rated 04 Feb 2023
39
7th
Quintessential example of how tough it can be to rate old movies in modern days. This came out over 120 years ago, am I supposed to rate it against Avatar 2? Do I pretend I was born in 1855 and this is the first motion picture I've seen? Something in between both? I don't know.
Rated 04 Feb 2023
doyler29doyler29
Rated 30 Nov 2022
70
42nd
The only other film I have seen from 1903 is a couple of minutes long and features a guy getting hit by a cab. By those standards, this is an absolute epic, featuring at least 6 or 7 locations, a complete (if rudimentary plot) and even a dance sequence. It's a marvel.
Rated 30 Nov 2022
scholar69420Scholar69420
Rated 17 Nov 2022
45
23rd
Imagine a student film with budget for an actual train. Good costumes, but they probably just got people to wear their regular clothes. Pacing is painfully slow. Parallel editing isn't as groundbreaking now as 125 years ago. Yes, it's an important milestone of cinema, but still pretty bad.
Rated 17 Nov 2022
edwardedward
Rated 14 Apr 2022
2
14th
Ok, it has historical significance yadda yadda, but is it a good film? No, not at all, and you're lying if you say otherwise. Even though it's only ten minutes long, I was watching the clock the entire time.
Rated 14 Apr 2022
lance20000lance20000
Rated 10 Sep 2019
90
79th
Mostly remembered for the first time a gun was pointed at a camera.
Rated 10 Sep 2019
hotsakehotsake
Rated 15 Sep 2017
76
88th
This movie was pretty freaking cool.
Rated 15 Sep 2017
ottott
Rated 10 Jul 2017
60
37th
pew pew!
Rated 10 Jul 2017
sirstuckeySirStuckey
Rated 31 May 2017
75
67th
It's one of the well known early 1900's shorts for a reason. It's pretty good and worth your 11 minutes.
Rated 31 May 2017
jimmy_suedeJimmy Suede
Rated 08 Jan 2017
78
68th
I really wish I could see this as its first audiences did. What an amazing experience that would have been. Obviously it's difficult to rate this. My rating reflects my personal enjoyment, because it's actually quite fun. If any person with any interest in film beyond the next Hollywood blockbuster won't invest a few minutes to watch this they should be honest with themselves and go back to the their Transformers movies.
Rated 08 Jan 2017
babaracusbabaracus
Rated 29 Nov 2016
9
91st
Tommy DeVito!!!
Rated 29 Nov 2016
tsvetetsvete
Rated 15 Jul 2016
81
18th
1
Rated 15 Jul 2016
petrostserPetrosTser
Rated 10 Apr 2016
60
45th
This is obviously extremely dated, but remains a decent, watchable film and, very importantly, one of the first to go for narrative coherence, paving the way for the better films that would follow.
Rated 10 Apr 2016
mattorama12mattorama12
Rated 24 Mar 2016
73
71st
Quite entertaining little short. Usually you watch this kind of stuff because you want to learn about it more than because you think you'll actually enjoy the experience. But you will with this one!
Rated 24 Mar 2016
funkyastroFunkyAstro
Rated 05 Oct 2014
65
64th
http://youtu.be/KUqYuFFsZsc?t=57m22s
Rated 05 Oct 2014
woodoowoodoo
Rated 08 Aug 2014
80
44th
Wild and kinetic but they hadn't figured out pace yet. To be fair, they were still actually robbing trains back then.
Rated 08 Aug 2014
suture_selfSuture Self
Rated 05 Jul 2014
4
34th
This is a stepping stone and a historical curiosity. The subpar rating indicates my level of enjoyment when watching it, which was low. But the final shot is cool, and my appreciation for the film remains strong because of its early achievements in filmmaking, even if it's not a strong film in and of itself. Still, Melies > Porter
Rated 05 Jul 2014
st_bernaSt. Berna
Rated 07 Feb 2014
85
83rd
o son sahnesi bile yeter bu puan etmesine. 1903 diyoruz, boru değil. ^^
Rated 07 Feb 2014
colten97Colten97
Rated 16 Sep 2013
100
88th
Porter's narrative talents thrust us along from the moment the bandits tie up the train station worker, then take the train in one of the most exciting stretches of film in all of history, and then the chase when the townspeople find out what's happened. Like so many of the great early films, Porter's masterpiece is not nearly long enough, but as what might be the first adventure film of the medium, it certainly set a very high standard for everything that came after it.
Rated 16 Sep 2013
naurunauru
Rated 10 Sep 2013
30
21st
The beginning is great, with good shot selection and high production value. Then it drags in the middle and ends abruptly. At least there's plenty of action.
Rated 10 Sep 2013
jnsonejijnsoneji
Rated 28 Jul 2013
95
83rd
Considering the tools and techniques available at that time, its a great movie to make.
Rated 28 Jul 2013
dougiedDougieD
Rated 28 May 2013
70
35th
Judged by today's standards it is pretty laughable, but as one of the first narrative feature film its impact on movies is undeniable. It is best if you think of how audiences felt when seeing it for the first time in 1903.
Rated 28 May 2013
neonmanNeonman
Rated 26 Mar 2013
88
89th
A really brilliant early short. Although it contains some out-dated over-acting and a bit of clumsiness inherit with films this early, it showcases a simple story in a simple manner, but in doing so manages to be very engaging, all the while permeated with an underlying nihilistic tone. The ending is very audacious, for any time period.
Rated 26 Mar 2013
snallygastersnallygaster
Rated 02 Aug 2012
30
19th
Impressive & important, but a bit boring. It does have a coherent narrative, but because it doesn't have dialogue or any real identifiable characters (all long shots until the final shot) it feels more like a documentary re-enactment than a real story.
Rated 02 Aug 2012
bentienbentien
Rated 29 May 2012
81
94th
You really can't rate this film, but when it comes to historic importance, it's definitely a must-see, therefore the high rating.
Rated 29 May 2012
csidlecsidle
Rated 13 May 2012
65
16th
Like Trip to the Moon, this title is very hard to rate. It's fairly interesting, but unlike Moon, it feels very much like "let's see what we can do with this stuff we've got" rather than "let's see how awesome a story we can do with this stuff we've got," resulting in a film that's more noteworthy for its context than content.
Rated 13 May 2012
roofsrunnerroofs_runner
Rated 04 May 2012
75
46th
Big time blockbuster by 1903 standards. Food for all further reposts.
Rated 04 May 2012
hellboy76hellboy76
Rated 19 Mar 2012
69
73rd
Early narrative and fairly impressive production.
Rated 19 Mar 2012
nobletNoblet
Rated 12 Mar 2012
60
35th
I'm glad I watched this, but it didn't really do much for me.
Rated 12 Mar 2012
begoniabolbegoniabol
Rated 09 Feb 2012
79
77th
For a film from 1903 (!!) this is amazing. It has quite advanced editing (moving image seen through a 'window'), colouring, and even some deaths. The finale + final shot are very cool. Way ahead of its time
Rated 09 Feb 2012
iyisinekiyisinek
Rated 07 Aug 2011
70
43rd
Bu filme puan verilmez. ilk western filmdir. Kurgu var. Hikaye var. Kamera sabit. ilk yakin plan cekim.
Rated 07 Aug 2011
graveyardtangraveyardtan
Rated 30 Sep 2010
90
84th
Damn awesome.
Rated 30 Sep 2010
killerbobbKillerBobb
Rated 14 Jun 2010
67
57th
Not as instantly accessible or entertaining for your average modern punter as the likes of Méliès but definitely an astonishing achievement & a deservedly praised film in regards to cinematic historical importance. The grandness of some scenes with a moving train, large crowds & stunts are, in perspective, a great achievement & speak volumes about the vision and talent of director Edwin S. Porter.
Rated 14 Jun 2010
martintellerMartinTeller
Rated 30 May 2010
70
35th
Whether or not it's the "first" narrative film, but it's one of the first anyway, and that's enough to make it a historical curiosity. It's also fairly entertaining, and certainly worth 10 minutes. Not really the kind of thing you're going to watch over and over again, though, except maybe if you're studying cinema history.
Rated 30 May 2010
xakkmasterXakkMaster
Rated 21 Jan 2010
85
76th
If you really think about how old this film is and look at the effort that was made to include proper backdrops, a little bit of character development (that one criminal was always lagging behind) and humor amongst the extreme violence; it's hard not to be amazed.
Rated 21 Jan 2010
tegotetabtegotetab
Rated 30 Nov 2009
100
99th
This is one of the great fathers of modern storytelling on film.
Rated 30 Nov 2009
woozybWoozyB
Rated 24 Nov 2009
90
86th
The first crime/action/suspense/thriller of its kind! Since the beginning, there's always been films like this.
Rated 24 Nov 2009
caimancaiman
Rated 31 Jul 2009
82
68th
Perhaps the very first film that showcased a fluid and logical narrative flow. The use of color is interesting, and the back screen effects are pretty cool.
Rated 31 Jul 2009
ivytivyt
Rated 10 Apr 2009
70
71st
Old school to the max! Look at the fuckin' date! First western/crime saga ever made. I mean, obviously it isn't all to impressive nowadays, but it was a thing of its time.
Rated 10 Apr 2009
blindmonkBlindMonk
Rated 09 Apr 2009
50
9th
I appreciate what was done here, at close to the beginning of the narrative form we all take for granted nowadays.
Rated 09 Apr 2009
nandorizzinandorizzi
Rated 26 Feb 2009
70
61st
A truly historic cinematic experience.
Rated 26 Feb 2009
moribunnyMoribunny
Rated 24 Nov 2008
70
75th
Highly impressive early cinematic endeavor, an important forerunner of the action, western and crime genres. This stuff helped formulate what cinema is. It lays down the basics for screenwriting, directing and editing.
Rated 24 Nov 2008
spunkieSpunkie
Rated 19 Nov 2008
55
52nd
Plays out smoothly.
Rated 19 Nov 2008
stainStain
Rated 09 Oct 2008
50
33rd
I can appreciate the historical significance of this movie. It's just not all that fun to watch if you've been spoiled by modern cinema
Rated 09 Oct 2008
unohav1unohav_1
Rated 14 Aug 2008
90
75th
I saw this as part of a DVD series put out by Kino called "Movies Begin". They claim to have restored the films, but I've seen restored prints of similar time period that were much better done. They did restore the hand coloring, which made the scene where the robber explodes the chest to open it quite magical. I found the whole short to be entertaining.
Rated 14 Aug 2008
slrsoapboxSlrSoapbox
Rated 30 Apr 2008
75
59th
Interesting film historically. Probably wouldn't be entertaining for anyone who isn't a film buff or a film historian though, since obviously everything about the film is outdated.
Rated 30 Apr 2008
albrownealbrowne
Rated 23 Apr 2007
60
21st
Historically significant, but not very enjoyable.
Rated 23 Apr 2007

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