This is very ground-breaking for 1901. Sure, the subject matter isn't overly special, and the print is sometimes rough, but it's a good achievement for its time. And why? Time-lapse. I don't think I've ever seen Georges Méliès do what directer and cinematographer F. S. Armitage did here. That's because (here's the reason) this is actually THE first film using this technique.
What we see in these three minutes is a theater being built up and taken down. Now I'm not sure exactly which Armitage documented, the tearing down of the theater or the building up, but he supposedly reversed the footage to create this effect. While the theater is the main focus, there are other details--there's a scaffolding which keeps appearing and disappearing throughout the film, and the lighting changes frequently. This is a good historical document* as well as a good "trick" film, and while it's not something you'll be impressed by, it is important for being the first use of time-lapse, which is enough reason to see it.
*In my opinion, documentaries are some of the best types of films because they show an event in time. This film has excellent historical significance just because of the fact it portrays an event in history.
What we see in these three minutes is a theater being built up and taken down. Now I'm not sure exactly which Armitage documented, the tearing down of the theater or the building up, but he supposedly reversed the footage to create this effect. While the theater is the main focus, there are other details--there's a scaffolding which keeps appearing and disappearing throughout the film, and the lighting changes frequently. This is a good historical document* as well as a good "trick" film, and while it's not something you'll be impressed by, it is important for being the first use of time-lapse, which is enough reason to see it.
*In my opinion, documentaries are some of the best types of films because they show an event in time. This film has excellent historical significance just because of the fact it portrays an event in history.