Tom Gunning: Early Cinema and the Cinema of Attractions

Early Cinema

• Early cinema: a radical shift in art compared to theater and traditional storytelling.

• Late 19th century to the early 1910s (1895-1910s)

• Displays moving images —> immerse spectators in visuals, sensations on screen

Spectators and Avant-Garde Influence

• The early avant-garde (Futurists, Dadaists, Surrealists) was enthusiastic about cinema's possibilities but disappointed by its adherence to traditional forms.

• Artists sought out ways to break away from conventional storytelling and presentation due to the disappointment

Cinema of Attractions

• Defined as a presentation-focused medium that prioritizes

• ✅ spectacle

• ✅ visual stimulation

• ❌ over narrative.

• Early films: displayed attractions rather than tell cohesive stories.

• ❌ narrative

• Strategies: direct audience engagement

• Showcased: visual illusions (e.g., actors looking at the camera).

Characteristics of Early Cinema

• Dominated by actuality films; fictional films emerged later.

• Notable filmmakers: Lumière (realism) and Méliès (fantasy); both emphasized spectacle over cohesive narratives.

• Trick films often lacked traditional storyline, serving primarily as visual spectacles.

Shift to Narrative Dominance

• Between 1907-1913, cinema shifted towards narrative structures, influenced by models from legitimate theater.

• D.W. Griffith's techniques sought to bind cinematic elements into narrative frameworks, moving away from the exhibitionist qualities of earlier films.

Modern Implications

• Even in narrative cinema, elements of attraction persist, as seen in chase films and contemporary Hollywood's spectacle-driven approach.

• The original audience engagement methods of early cinema can still be traced through avant-garde practices and modern filmmaking styles.