This film is part of Free

How We Filmed in the Nineties

A whistlestop tour of early filmmaking, from street scenes to a thrilling Western.

Amateur film 1936 24 mins Silent

Overview

The title of this home-made compilation is a little disingenuous, as the films span at least 20 years. Nevertheless, it's a whirlwind overview of the filmmaking habits of those decades, starting with the archetypal actuality film - the street scene, all bustling traffic and modernity - and ending with an elaborate genre production - a Western with action set-pieces and a tough-as-nails female lead.

While watching the film from beginning to end might not make for the most coherent viewing experience, it's a heady reminder of the sheer heterogeneity of film in its first decades.