The Great Train Robbery

A group of outlaws boldly robs a train, taking the passengers' valuables and the telegraph operator's message. After escaping into the wilderness, they divide the loot. However, their brazen act does not go unpunished as they are eventually tracked down and brought to justice in a climactic shootout.

As one of the earliest narrative films, 'The Great Train Robbery' was groundbreaking for its time, pioneering many filmmaking techniques and establishing the Western genre. It was a massive commercial success and is considered a landmark in cinematic history.

• A pioneering silent film that significantly advanced narrative storytelling.

• Revolutionary for its use of cross-cutting and on-location shooting.

• Established many tropes that would become standard in Western films.

Google audience: Audience reception data from 1903 is not available in a comparable format to modern reviews.

Preserved in the U.S. National Film Registry in 1990 for being 'culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant'.

The film's famous closing shot, where a character directly addresses the audience with a pistol, was often interchanged with other scenes and sometimes appeared at the beginning of the film, allowing exhibitors flexibility in presentation.