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71% Critic Match
The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat
7.1 / 10• 1896• 1m•NR• French
HistoryDocumentary
Storyline
A group of people are standing along the platform of a railway station in La Ciotat, waiting for a train. One is seen coming, at some distance, and eventually stops at the platform. Doors of the railway-cars open and attendants help passengers off and on. Popular legend has it that, when this film was shown, the first-night audience fled the café in terror, fearing being run over by the "approaching" train. This legend has since been identified as promotional embellishment, though there is evidence to suggest that people were astounded at the capabilities of the Lumières' cinématographe.
Cast & Crew
MK
Madeleine Koehler
Self
LeadMK
Marcel Koehler
Self
Marguerite Lumière
Self
JL
Jeanne-Joséphine Lumière
Self
RL
Rose Lumière
Self
SL
Suzanne Lumière
Self
What People Are Saying
4.0
“A staggering achievement of craft and ambition. Louis Lumière's vision lands with breathtaking precision.”
4.0
“Every frame feels alive. The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat is the rare release that takes its audience seriously.”
