He_who_lurks Most people say the Lumiere Brothers' short film "Workers leaving the Factory" (1895) was the first motion picture, the beginning of the movies. But really it was this short, 3 second film by Louis Aime Augustin le Prince. The simple short has about 4 people walking in a garden in front of a house. With its short run time it has become a timeless classic. Besides this I have also seen "Traffic Crossing the Leeds Bridge" by the same man which is about the same run time. Both are masterpieces and earn a spot in cinematic history.However, Kino's wonderful DVD set "The Movies Begin: A Treasury of Early Cinema" doesn't include these two fabulous shorts, which is really too bad. This was THE FIRST MOTION PICTURE KNOWN TO SURVIVE!! How could they not include it? Maybe it wasn't rediscovered when they made the set, but come on! This film, despite not being included on the set, is still a fabulous masterpiece, never mind people calling "Workers leaving the Factory" the first movie. You can't expect this film to be anything special of course, as it being the first film is special enough. The picture quality is very pristine. And, there's a mystery surrounding its filming. Rumor says that Harriet Hartley herself took part in the film. However certain sources identify her as Anne Hartley. The other woman, Sarah Whitley, died 10 days after the film was shot, increasing the sense of mystery that surrounds it.

adamparent92 This is probably one of the most influential films of all time.I can only think of one that is equal or more influential,that is "The Horse in Motion." Which was a series of pictures made by a horse galloping over thread which activated multiple cameras.So anyway,"Roundhay Garden Scene"has a very complex,twisted plot that will leave you wanting more.As the man emerges from his home, he looks as though he was guilty of something.It looked as though the two men were urging him to get out as quick as possible,and the women was very troubled, as though she had just lost a loved one because of a gruesome murder...Hopefully this story will continue

Clayton Van March (Hallows_Eve_Chocologic) No words can describe it. Incredible.All "movie fans" HAVE to see this, to keep watching movies, IMHO. If you can't even spare 2 seconds to watch the film that started the modern medias you cherish dearly today, or if you do watch it and do not even like it, with all due respect, never allow yourself to watch a film ever again.And you'd better run on here and give it a 10 out of 10 rating, because if you like movies(everyone does) it is YOUR obligation.Now, on a humorous note, a brief summary(gonna be hard to do this, after all it has such a long running length): Out in the garden of the Whitley family house in Oakwood Grange Road, Roundhay, a suburb of Leeds, Yorkshire was a family. A most peculiar family, if you ask me. For a frame, all is happy.Then at the end of the epic First Act, an entire second into the picture(a whole second! Eek!"), we are confronted with a horrid conflict: our leading lady struggles to turn her legs as to turn around. After two frames of a long saga that is the Second Act, she soon looks upon the people around her, laughs, and remembers once again the ancient art of walking. Act Two has finished, Act Three dawns. For this entire couple of frames, we see the man that had been distracting her from walking all along about to pass her by...MWWUUUHHHAAAAHHHHA......Hehe! It's brilliant. Something so simple has become so influential. Le Prince would never have thought once what these animated strips of film would become later on...if only he could see film now. Would he like the Kingdom of Hollywood, or scream in terror upon learning what evil it has become?

Michael_Elliott Roundhay Garden Scene (1888) Traffic Crossing Leeds Bridge (1888)If you've ever wondered what the first movies ever made were then here you go. Director Louise Le Prince shot these two films with a single lense camera he made in 1888. From what I've read, both were shot in October of 1888 because the director's mother died this month and she's featured in the first film (which I just had to watch twice). The first film has some sort of creepy feel along with it but if you're interested then you can see them at IMDb or Youtube. Both just last for two seconds but at least I can now say I saw the first film ever made.