The "Arrival of a Train" and "Damsel in Distress" Response

1. How would you describe the difference in camera work: composition, angle, movement.
2. How would you describe the differences in the edit?
3. How would you describe the characteristics of the story being told/narrative?


For "Arrival of a Train", there is only one continuous inclusive take of the everything. This is basically set in a long shot; the railway acting as a vector that draws our eyes down a z-axis. In this shot, people are waiting to board the train, the train arrives and as some people get off others get on. In the "Damsel in Distress" though, there are actual cuts. This short film utilizes parallel action to build up the emotional tension; this is shown through the man tying up the distressed woman and a train about to come. "Arrival of a Train" only gave an outside point of view in the action while "Damsel in Distress" was able to have more coverage of the reactions of all the people surrounding the action. The "Arrival of a Train" is more related to Realism because in real life, the exact same thing would keep happening for people who would wait at a train station. "Damsel in Distress" falls more under Classicism because of it's use of parallel action. In "Arrival of a Train", the common goal for the people was to board or leave the bus in order to get to a place. In real life, not everything is as interesting or mind-blowing. "Damsel in Distress" shows a ruthless man and a woman who has to think on her feet in order to escape her imminent death.