Fire!

For having been made over a century ago, this short movie creates a good sense of action and suspense with its story of firemen coming to the rescue of a family in a burning house. It uses almost every technique then available, and there is a pretty good amount of detail in many of the shots.

While the basic idea was fairly simple, the film-makers were resourceful in including shots of several aspects of the situation. It's worth paying attention to the details, both in the reactions of the persons in the house, and in the settings. Not least among the interesting aspects of this movie is the chance to have a detailed look at the fire-fighting equipment of the era.

A lot of action is packed into a few minutes, and while the way that it is pieced together may be just a bit rough in places, the editing is very commendable for a time when there was little experience to go by. All in all, this is among the better-made narratives of its time.