Film History & Criticism - Reading Summary - A Cinema of Attractions, Tom Gunning

Film History & Criticism -Reading Summary - A Cinema of Attractions, Tom
Gunning
Tom Gunning’s ‘The Cinema of Attractions: Early Film, it’s Spectator and the Avant-
Garde’ is a comprehensive review of early cinema and it’s artistic evolution from a visual
spectacle to a narrative medium. By Gunning’s definitions, pre-1906 cinema can be
categorised under a few main genres; namely, ‘actualities’, ‘erotic’ and ‘trick’ films (Gunning
1990), which are discussed throughout the excerpt. Gunning describes films which fall under
these such genres as ‘the act of showing and exhibition’ (Gunning 1990, 56). The Cinema of
attractions is a term coined by Gunning to broadly cover these such films and allows in part
for him to categorise the pre-1906 cinema style. For it’s time, films of these genres had great
cultural significance as it was the first time in history that this new technology was
popularised amongst a vastly wide audience.
Gunning also argues how pre-1906 cinema can be considered a novelty, rather than a
developed art form. Techniques exhibited in early film can be directly attributed to its
influence from classical art forms, such as theatre and literature; direct address for example
(where an actor will look directly into the camera) comes from how a theatre performer will
face the audience during a show. Influences such as these are what was believed to restrain
film from developing as an independent medium.
Actuality films, which capture scenes that exist in reality tended to involve the filmmaker
setting up a fixed camera position and recording what naturally occurred in front of the lens.
Lumière’s films, such as ‘Une Rue à Tokyo’ and ‘Workers leaving the Lumière Factory’ for
example are simple, unscripted, undirected motion shots of real life scenes. And the erotic
film genre, which can be considered the most stripped down example of exhibitionist cinema
showed lewd scenes of women wearing revealing attire, or who more often than not, were
fully naked. This suggests erotic films by nature, are plotless and the the most voyeuristic of
early film genres.
Aforementioned ‘Trick’ films (often referred to as a novelty by Gunning), such as ‘Un

Homme De Têtes’ by Georges Méliès can be likened to the magic performances which
heavily influenced his film work. They offer little more than illusory cinematography
techniques and special effects which aimed to distort the perception of reality within the film.
Although some examples such as ‘Le Voyage Dans la Lun’ were plotted, Gunning argues
that most trick films prior to 1906 offer little to no linear narrative and are simply a
framework in which the filmmaker could explore the new medium and experiment with
visual technique.
However, the general acceptance, enjoyment and demand for this new ‘attraction’ did in
fact allow film makers to experiment with innovative camera, projection and editing
techniques to add an additional essence of illusion. Méliès discovered the use of techniques
such as ‘split screening’ which can be observed in his 1898 film ‘Un Homme De Têtes’
where he is capable of removing his own head numerous times and placing it on the tables
adjacent to him. Gunning argues that visual effects such as these ensure that trick films fall
safely into the category of ‘novelty’ rather than the post-1906 avant garde art form. Even
films such as the aforementioned ‘Le Voyage Dans la Lun’ which include some basic
narrative, the plot is believed only to be the foundation upon which a trick film can be
produced. This is due to the special effects and ‘the magical possibilities of the camera’
which dominate over the narrative. Méliès himself states that the ‘scenario… has no
importance’ and is ‘merely the pretext for the ‘stage effects’, the ‘tricks’…’ such as the ones
mentioned.
Post-1906, cinema saw a definitive artistic transformation from the simplicity of the cinema
of attractions to a progressive form of narrative. The new cinema style began to dominate the
industry and took precedence over the prior. As a result of this new cinema style, the cinema
of attractions went ‘underground’ (Gunning 1990, 57). Elements of theatre were now
considered outdated and of poor taste, and cinematography and editing techniques such as
those seen in trick films were replaced with ‘elements of dramatic expression’ (Gunning
1990, 60). Despite the apparent disappearance of the cinema of attractions in 1906, aspects of
early cinema can still however be exampled, even in modern cinema. Though tamed within a
greater context, special effects such as CGI can be likened to the tricks that first exhibited in
Méliès’ films.
Works Cited and Referenced & Filmography
- Gunning, T. (1990) “The Cinema of Attractions: Early Film, Its Spectator and the Avant-
Garde”
- Ezra E. (2000) “Georges Méliès”
- Lumière, A. & Lumière, L. (1897) “Une Rue à Tokyo”:
- Lumière, A. & Lumière, L. (1895) “Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory”:
- Méliès, G (1902) “Le Voyage Dans La Lune”
- Méliès, G (1898) “Un Homme De Têtes”
- Maher, M (2016) “The Art of Split Screen” https://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/split-

screen-editing-and-composing/
- Georges Méliès Biography https://www.notablebiographies.com/supp/Supplement-Ka-

M/M-li-s-Georges.html

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Film History & Criticism -Reading Summary - A Cinema of Attractions, Tom

Aforementioned ‘Trick’ films (often referred to as a novelty by Gunning), such as ‘Un

Works Cited and Referenced & Filmography

- Ezra E. (2000) “Georges Méliès”

- Lumière, A. & Lumière, L. (1897) “Une Rue à Tokyo”:

- Lumière, A. & Lumière, L. (1895) “Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory”:

- Méliès, G (1902) “Le Voyage Dans La Lune”

- Méliès, G (1898) “Un Homme De Têtes”

- Maher, M (2016) “The Art of Split Screen” https://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/split-

- Georges Méliès Biography https://www.notablebiographies.com/supp/Supplement-Ka-

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