Before The Nickelodeon

Before The Nickelodeon is a compelling 1982 documentary that explores the early beginnings of cinema, focusing on the life and work of Edwin S. Porter - a pioneering figure in the world of film. Directed by film historian Charles Musser, this documentary backs up considerable film history with an array of archival films, interviews, and photographs that create an intricate panorama of a critical era in film history.

The documentary features on-screen commentary from Blanche Sweet, a renowned actress of the silent era, and Jay Leyda, an established cinema historian. Also featured is Rob Issen, who offers insightful perspectives. Altogether, they provide a fascinating overview of the evolution of American cinema, emphasizing Porter's underrated contributions. In the documentary, Porter is described as a key player behind the invention of filmmaking as an art form and business throughout the first decade of the 20th century.

The title, Before The Nickelodeon, refers to the nickel theaters (nickelodeons), which were generally small, storefront theaters, bringing in audiences for a nickel per ticket during the earliest days of the film era. The documentary ventures back to an era when cinema was in its playful beginnings before the engulfing wave of the Nickelodeon trend swept in and cinematic narratives became formalized.

In part one of the documentary, the audiences are taken on a journey retracing Porter's early life, painting a picture of his background, interest in the mechanical arts, and how he got drawn into the world of motion pictures. Here, the film acquaints the audience with a lesser-known perspective of Porter’s role in shaping the film industry; his contributions to the drastic transitions in narrative style, content, and distribution methods that cinema sustained throughout its earliest years.

The second part of the documentary explores Edwin S. Porter's life and career as a filmmaker in greater depth. Titled "The Development of an American Filmmaker," this segment puts forth a focus on Porter’s seminal works like "The Life of an American Fireman" (1902) and "The Great Train Robbery" (1903) that established the novel narrative language in cinema storytelling.

A major bulk of the documentary pulls out of the rich collection of over one hundred films produced by Porter. They are presented, analyzed, and put into context through reactions from the industry and the public. In addition, it features extracts from Porter's significant film successes, showcasing the filmmaker's innovative use of continuous narrative action, flashbacks, and cross-cutting, which astonished audiences and inspired filmmakers of the time.

The documentary emphasizes how Edwin Porter often pushed the boundaries of his spectators' imagination and understanding by creating more complex narratives over time. The film's commentary by Blanche Sweet, Jay Leyda, and Rob Issen provides an exploration of how Porter's films paved the way for storytelling techniques and special effects that shaped the future of filmmaking. The narration offers a poignant voyage through time and makes the documentary a gripping watch.

With a rich assemblage of facts, interviews, and film clips, Before The Nickelodeon successfully reconstructs the movie industry’s remarkable journey from the primitive single-shot films to elaborate storytelling. The documentary highlights that Porter, with his depth of creativity and technical prowess, was a principal player in influencing this change.

A noteworthy element of this documentary is its carefully crafted mise-en-scène, meticulously piecing together fragments from the past into a coherent, evocative narrative. It takes effort to shed light on the era's social and cultural context, laying out the ways in which it intersected and formed relations with cinema.

Before The Nickelodeon doesn't merely document history, but invites viewers to discover a bygone era, emulate the excitement of the early filmgoers, and appreciate the revolutionary strides that have made cinema what it is today. Altogether, the film is an essential watch for anybody interested in the history of cinema, offering an in-depth, nuanced glimpse into one of its formative periods. It's not just a retelling of film history, it's a journey back into the "Age of Edison" that eventually gave birth to the "Nickelodeon Period" of the motion picture industry.