The Great Train Robbery

Composed of fourteen separate shots of non-continuous, non-overlapping action, Edwin S. Porter's spectacle-and-drama-laden short is widely acknowledged as the first narrative film to have achieved temporal continuity of action. Establishing a realistic narrative, the partially hand-tinted, eleven-minute-long escapade depicts the audacious attempt of a ruthless gang of bandits to rob a passenger train in broad daylight. The action-packed film includes suspenseful sequences of the robbers' infiltration, exciting bright-orange-yellow dynamite explosions, and climactic scenes of pursuit by a band of brave heroes. Lastly, a startling final shot awaited the then-unaccustomed-to-violence audiences, putting the unsuspecting spectators in the hapless passengers' shoes.