Week 3

This week we watched "View From an Engine Front", "The Kiss in The Tunnel", "The Kiss" and "What Happened in The Tunnel"

Each of these films highlight different aspects of the beginnings of narrative editing in early silent film. I found that the use of phantom riding in combination with a cut to a scene between two lovers sharing a kiss in "The Kiss in The Tunnel" is a fantastic example of the power of continuity editing. The phantom ride shot immediately pulls us into the narrative of the film and makes us feel as though we are experiencing it ourselves, which allows us to grow a deeper connection with the two characters shown.

I feel that these films contrast with the "uses of cinema" in that they are all representing scenes that are incredibly leisurely and casual. Rather than, as the reading might suggest, promoting deep messages rooted in societal issues or serving a purpose to educate etc., these films represent perhaps merely the expression of a simple feeling, one that does not require depth or analyzation.