New York Subway (1905)
** 1/2 (out of 4)
When people think of G.W. Bitzer they think of him being the cinematographer for D.W. Griffith on his landmark pictures but before teaming up with the future legend, Bitzer made a career out of being a director. This 5-minute film is such an example. There's really not too much going on but we see footage being shot of a train as it goes through the tunnels and stopping at various points to pick up more people. Yes, that's all that happens for five-minutes but it's important to remember that movie crowds back in the day loved movies with trains. If you start watching these early pieces of cinema you're going to notice a lot of movies deal with trains in regards to story lines or simply showing how they work or move. For the most part this is a pretty dull short because we just keep seeing the same thing over and over for the entire running time. What makes the film worth viewing is that it gives us a great look at the train system back in 1905. Sure, Hollywood could re-create this today using CGI but why bother when you have the real thing right here on full display? I really enjoyed seeing the structure of the tunnels, the look of the train and of course the type of clothing that people were wearing back in the day. Fans of early cinema and those who just want to see 1905 should certainly check this out but others might want to stay clear. It's also worth noting that the cinematography is rather remarkable considering the era.