The Great Train Robbery - Comments & Tips

This is by most accounts the first Western, and certainly one of the first long-form narratives. Some bandits orchestrate a robbery but are foiled and killed in a shoot-out. What''s truly notable is the relatively advanced technique used to construct the film; there is a refreshing lack of narration cards and the action flows well from one scene to another. It doesn''t outstay its welcome at just under twelve minutes and feels as if it has a clear beginning, middle and end.

Surprisingly violent. Watched the cheesy looking colorized version.

Important historical film. I watched the movie on 5/8/25.

This is one I’ve seen a few times and don’t need to rewatch. I remember the cross-cutting and the strong action sequences. Like Melies' "Trip to the Moon," this feels like the first foundation brick laid for a whole series to come.

Very interesting little film. I''m sure I''ve read elsewhere that this is the first actual narrative movie made (i.e. scripted). Feels a bit stagey by today''s standards, but it has all the elements of a modern movie.

an important piece of film history, worth seeing !

46% Positives: I enjoyed the action sequence. This film had more plot then I was suspecting and actually could kinda follow what was happening. Negatives: The acting was pretty weak. When people were shooting at each other and somebody died the actor who died did a very poor job. Overall: I recognize that this is an older film but it''s a very short film and it''s hard to place this movie and give a good rating. Very good for the first western film.