The Great Train Robbery

"The Great Train Robbery", out of all the silent movies I have seen in class so far, was the most thrilling. I'm not exactly sure if this was the first action/thriller created, but it definitely was the best thus far. You also see for the first time the illusion of a constantly moving set (the train) on a grand scale, which wasn't properly done yet at the time. We already have seen the use of early color in the movie, but I feel the mix between the black and white, and the specific colors for the women's dresses and gun smoke were vital in dramatizing the scenes. Also, at the end where the robber breaks the fourth wall and shoots his gun at the camera, I thought this was ingenious. Not only was it sending a clear message to the audience about the life of crime, but it also makes the movie an interactive piece. That scene definitely reminds me of the end of the movie "Goodfellas", where Joe Pesci shoots his gun at the camera. It is the exact same message, from a different time period and a different scenario.