Essential Films

From the prehistory of film, animals have been featured in motion pictures. The ethical treatment of animals was only formally regulated nearly a century after the invention of the medium. Eadweard Muybridge’s "Chickens Scared by Torpedo" (1887) is an early chronophotographic sequence that challenges our modern standards. Although no animals appear to be harmed in this work, the setting does raise questions. The birds fly off from the explosion, but as the smoke that follows obscures the clarity of the image, the result offers no value for the study of locomotion. Was the original intention to record the sequence for comic effect? If so, it is hard to see how this series of photographs, even when set in motion, can generate laughter. Sadly, this can now only be viewed as documentary evidence of animal cruelty on film.
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The 1880s were the decade in which chronophotography reigned supreme, culminating in the invention of film in 1888 by Louis Le Prince. Explore the Essential Films canon to discover these hidden gems.
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"Boys Playing Leapfrog: Side View" (1887) was intended as a scientific study of human locomotion, following Muybridge’s "Athletes" series at Palo Alto Stock Farm. These photographs from Philadelphia, taken a few years later, exhibit significantly improved visual quality, allowing close observation of individual muscles involved in the act of jumping. The young men display a sportsman’s physique, rendering these images more effective for scientific purposes. Today, however, Eadweard Muybridge’s study serves as a joyful reminder of childhood games, celebrating the agility of youth alongside their eagerness for adventure and play. Over more than a century, these pictures attest to the enduring nature of human behaviour.
👉 Find out more https://www.essential-films.co.uk/film/boys-playing-leapfrog-side-view-1887