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| The Big Swallow James Williamson | 1901 | 1 min A man (played by Sam Dalton) remonstrates with the person behind the camera, waving his stick and becoming more and more angry. He does not want to be photographed. He approaches the camera, coming into an extreme close-up, until all that can be seen is his mouth, which he opens to engulf the camera. Cut to a shot behind the photographer, who steps back as the camera disappears. The photographer tumbles over as if into the man's mouth, from which the camera withdraws. The man smacks his lips and laughs. Williamson is showing his innovative skills as well as a sense of humour designed to startle and amuse audiences. The huge close-up was unfamiliar and the cutaway to the photographer is also expanding the grammar of film-making, much as G A Smith had done recently in As Seen Through a Telescope |
Page created 13 July 2009
Film: public domain; Text © David Fisher