French Innovation at Cinema’s Dawn

I stole the title of today's entry; it's the headline from the NYTimes.com article that accompanies it, a review of a new set from Kino.

“Gaumont Treasures 1897-1913,” is "a fascinating three-disc set from Kino International." According to the review, the set features films from Gaumont, the oldest continuously-running film production company in existence and showcases "an era in which innovation was the norm and formal discoveries were being made almost daily."

With films from Alice Guy, Léonce Perret, Louis Feuillade and others, the set is "an abridged version, with English subtitles, of 'Le Cinéma Premier,' a seven-disc collection issued in 2008 in France by Gaumont."

Nonetheless, the review gives it high marks for offering "a satisfying, well-chosen sample for more casual visitors to this astoundingly rich, fast-moving period in film history."