It's hard to tell whether the soldiers involved are dancing, boxing or practicing la savate -- a little bit of all three, if truth be told. They go through their drill en masse, and are quite graceful about it -- it makes me wish for a cut to a crane shot.
Of course, the crane shot had not been invented when this picture was taken and the immense piece of equipment used to take a motion picture at this stage made that impossible. Still, the structure and timing of this piece offers the viewer its own light-hearted grace. The final moment, when the chasseur in the center looks at the camera, rounds things off very nicely.
I think that this would be a good picture to show to someone who is not fascinated by movies from the beginnings of the form.
Of course, the crane shot had not been invented when this picture was taken and the immense piece of equipment used to take a motion picture at this stage made that impossible. Still, the structure and timing of this piece offers the viewer its own light-hearted grace. The final moment, when the chasseur in the center looks at the camera, rounds things off very nicely.
I think that this would be a good picture to show to someone who is not fascinated by movies from the beginnings of the form.
