Discover the 10 Oldest Movies Ever Made

Discover the 10 Oldest Movies Ever Made

The flickering images on the big screen have captivated audiences for over a century, but what were the very first motion pictures that started it all? As the movie industry expanded in the early 20th century, filmmaking evolved from short novelty reels to sophisticated full-length features. However, most of those pioneering works have been lost to deterioration and neglect over the last hundred-plus years.

Through exhaustive research, film historians have identified the 10 oldest surviving motion pictures. These groundbreaking recordings provide a rare glimpse into the experimental dawn of a new art form as well as the technological limitations of early cinema. Let‘s unveil these cinematic artifacts and appreciate the innovative spirit that brought motion pictures to eager audiences.

The Advent of Movies – Setting the Stage in the 1800s
Before ranking the oldest films, it is worth reviewing some of the key milestones in early cinema history that made motion pictures possible. Experiments in capturing and reproducing images in motion laid the technological foundation for movies as we know them.

In 1872, photographer Eadweard Muybridge used a row of 12 cameras with trip wires to photograph a galloping horse. This sequential imagery demonstrated that the horse had all four hooves temporarily off the ground while running. Muybridge continued capturing high-speed motion photography of animals and humans that disproved certain motion assumptions of the day.

Etienne-Jules Marey invented the chronophotographic gun in 1882, which could take 12 consecutive frames per second. Marey’s studies andpublications of bodies in motion using this device were a critical step towards true motion pictures.

The flexible and durable celluloid film invented by George Eastman revolutionized photography in 1889. This technology allowed filmmakers to record longer scenes compared to troublesome glass plates. The new Eastman Kodak cameras also popularized amateur photography and home videos.

In 1891, inventor Thomas Edison and his assistant William Dickson unveiled the Kinetoscope, a device which enabled a single viewer to watch a short film clip through a peephole. Customers lined up at urban Kinetoscope parlors to view 50-foot film reels lasting only half a minute. Dickson would go on to play a direct role in the creation of cinematic milestones further down this list.

Auguste and Louis Lumière launched one of the first motion picture projection systems, the Cinematograph, in 1895. Their technology allowed multiple people to enjoy moving images simultaneously by projecting the film onto a collective screen. The Lumière brothers famously exhibited 10 short scenes like Workers Leaving The Lumière Factory to amazed audiences in Paris. This commercial debut signaled the introduction of motion pictures as both an art form and popular entertainment.

As we will see, early movies often pushed the boundaries of these emerging film technologies and built on their predecessors’ innovations. Let’s explore the Top 10 oldest surviving feature films and marvel at their contribution to cinematic history.

Ranking the 10 Earliest Movies Still in Existence

10. Oliver Twist (1912)

While not the first film adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic novel, this 55-minute American production earned recognition as the earliest surviving version of Oliver Twist on screen. It brings 19th century London to life as we follow the misadventures of orphan Oliver seeking his rightful inheritance while dodging the clutches of conniving criminals. This ambitious undertaking was among the first to transform the Victorian literary source material into a multi-reel movie. Despite some crude acting and staging compared to the production values modern audiences expect, Oliver Twist encapsulated the adventurous and imaginative spirit of early American cinema.

9. With Our King And Queen Through India (1912)

Chronicling the British monarchs’ participation in a spectacular Delhi durbar celebration to mark George V’s coronation, this vivid documentary provides a valuable glimpse into colonial India under the Raj. Clocking in at approximately 21⁄2 hours long, the film consisted of 6 reels touring various events and locations. Filmmakers captured the Emperor and Empress mingling with Indian royalty against colorful backdrops. They embarked on elephant processions in front of amazing architectural wonders alongside diverse crowds lined up to catch a view. Originally in black-and-white, careful hand-applied color tinting was added to heighten certain scenes. This early travelogue is a unique time capsule transporting the viewer to a major historic gathering from the British Empire’s heyday.

8. Defence of Sevastopol (1911)

The earliest surviving feature film made in the Russian empire creatively depicts the famous Siege of Sevastopol during the Crimean War of 1853-1856 from the Russian perspective. Soldiers in Tsarist uniforms valiantly attempt to defend the strategic naval base against British and French bombardment. As a patriotic tale, Defence of Sevastopol spends almost 2 hours reinforcing themes of honor, resilience and sacrifice in the face of difficult odds through dramatized military action scenes. Beyond pure entertainment, this relatively sophisticated epic strived to educate Russian citizens about an iconic battle which had occurred less than 60 years prior. The vivid recreations would help secure wider public support for the armed forces. Director Vasily Goncharov ambitiously pushed cinematic boundaries to portray the stylised warfare with some innovative camera pans and special effects for 1911.

7. L‘Inferno (1911)

Adapting Dante Alighieri’s literary classic Divine Comedy to the big screen, this 71-minute Italian production conveys audiences through an episodic adventure of Hell’s nine circles. The visual interpretation features lavish costumes, expressionistic scenery backdrops painted by noted artists, as well as enhanced special effects with double exposures and reverse photography to generate otherworldly illusions. Ambitiously produced for its day as Italy’s inaugural full-length feature film, L’Inferno took inspiration from French and American film successes of multi-reel pictures to create their own epic masterpiece showcasing fantastic imagery. Its spectacular scenes and visual trickery were designed to amaze viewers. L’Inferno fuelled excitement over cinema’s potential as an immersive artistic medium.

6. Les Misérables (1909)

This early silent adaptation from France directed by Albert Capellani retells Victor Hugo’s famous 19th century novel set against the 1832 June Rebellion in Paris. Clocking in around 60 minutes, the film ambitiously tackled the expansive story focused on Jean Valjean and Inspector Javert’s cat-and-mouse relationship. The production design authentically brings Hugo’s post-Napoleonic era French settings to life. Capellani‘s camerawork incorporates tracking movements and pans to generate tension and energy within confined sets. As film historians reflect, “Les Misérables was appreciated not only as the first big step forward for French film but also as demonstrating the new artistic and social possibilities of film.” While rudimentary compared to later renditions, this pioneering version encapsulated both the look and emotional weight of Hugo’s timeless epic on screen.

5. L‘Enfant prodigue (1907)

This early French dramatization directed by Michel Carré vividly adapts the well-known Biblical Parable of the Prodigal Son from the Gospel of Luke into a multi-act theatrical production spanning 60-90 minutes. It portrayed the redemptive fable in a familiar late 19th century bourgeois setting with lavish costumes and melodramatic acting punctuated withinserted title cards. The film built on Carré‘s successful stage show of the same name with enhanced exterior visuals not confined to a theater‘s technical limits. L’Enfant prodigue earned distinction as the first feature-length film made in Europe. By adapting classic religious morality tales with sophisticated production design, Carré helped showcase cinema’s promise as an evolved narrative artform reaching diverse mass audiences.

4. The Story of the Kelly Gang (1906)

While mostly lost today with only 17 minutes of footage remaining, this pioneering gangster picture from Australia is hailed by the National Film and Sound Archive as the world‘s first full-length narrative feature film. Running approximately 60 minutes, The Story of The Kelly Gang dramatizes the real-life tale of notorious 1800s outlaw Ned Kelly during Victoria‘s colonial era. It vividly depicts the Kelly gang’s criminal acts escaping authorities alongside shootouts and robberies. The production team built on earlier short films by incorporating extended exterior action sequences, parallel editing between scenes, and more complex character backstories. Despite taking creative liberties with historical fact, The Story of the Kelly Gang built tremendous commercial success and established several cinematic benchmarks in terms of length, structure and scope.

3. Vie et Passion du Christ (1903)

Hailed as one of the pioneering religious-themed films, French filmmaker Ferdinand Zecca‘s depiction of the life of Jesus Christ pushed motion picture technology to its limits in 1903 through its length, coloring processes and detailed production design. It ambitiously recreated Gospel scenes from birth to the crucifixion against painted two-dimensional sets emulating Medieval and Renaissance artistic biblical imagery. Lasting up to 44 minutes over 4 reels, Vie et Passion du Christ utilized hand-applied stencil color techniques to heighten certain scenes and objects. Beyond dramatizing familiar Christian theology, the vivid production encapsulated French cinema’s early aspirations towards holistic cinematic storytelling capturing both spectacle and deeper spirituality themes within constraints of early film equipment.

2. Army Life; or, How to Be a Soldier (1900)

Encompassing over 60 scenes across 75 minutes, this set of early British military documentaries choreographed by filmmaker Robert W. Paul provided citizens with an exclusive look at Army training operations. Camerawork emphasizes regimental displays and maneuvers with tracking pans and shots to showcase orderly formations and marking it among the first ‘moving camera‘ experiments. Though obviously staged, the rare glimpse into barracks activity and combat drills offered Edwardian era audiences an ‘inside access‘ perspective. Paul‘s Army Life collection didn‘t just chronicle soldiers’ work life, but also their recreational leisure as well. These non-fiction actualities circulated as popular entertainment while enhancing military PR. Beyond their cultural role as propaganda, Paul’s intimate army documents marked technical and stylistic innovations towards more sophisticated non-fiction storytelling structured into a feature-length program format.

1. The Corbett-Fitzsimmons Fight (1897)
   Recreating one of 1890s America’s most anticipated heavyweight prizefights blow-by-blow, Enoch J. Rector‘s documentary The Corbett-Fitzsimmons Fight is cinema‘s earliest recorded feature-length film. Lasting over 100 minutes across multiple reels, audiences in tent venues thrilled at this motion picture’s realism transporting them ringside. Fighters move smoothly with clear images despite limitations of 1890s recording equipment and processing. Rector’s extended boxing actuality built on his string of fight films capitalizing on the public’s growing fascination with sports entertainment coupled with motion picture novelty. Some film scholars cite The Corbett-Fitzsimmons Fight as the genesis of modern sports broadcasting. Beyond journalism documentation, Rector’s work underscored motion pictures’ potential both as an endurance test of technology and premium staged attraction promising unique immersive experiences beyond everyday life.

Conclusion
As we reflect on the earliest surviving feature films, we should appreciate these primitive experiments by pioneering filmmakers pushing boundaries of the budding art form. Their ambitious efforts allowed the movie industry to blossom globally. Many practices standard in modern filmmaking today evolved from tools and techniques these visionaries developed under early technological constraints to realize cinema’s promise.

While some creations seem quaint through our 21st century eyes, each milestone film expanded creative horizons and forged viewer connections through conveyed images and stories unhindered by everyday limits of stage, text or brush.

As old nitrate reels continue to be rediscovered and restored, our understanding of cinema origins continues evolving much like audiences’ tastes. These earliest movies highlight aspiring artists embracing an emerging visual communication rebooting hopes of achieving life’s vibrancy in motion.