The last of the four known Le Prince film that survived till our days is Man Walking Around the Corner, a a title that pretty much lets you know everything you'll see. This few frames have received much less attention than the other three Le Prince films, and therefore is know to less people despite being available at Youtube and other pages in the internet. This lack of attention is a shame, specially because it may be responsible of the fact that this is the only Le Prince film that has not enjoyed a professional restoration. This causes that the only way to watch the film is in a very blurry copy and not the quite clear images available for the other three films are missing here. Every copy I've seen is dark and is hard to notice what happens in the screen, while the shadow of a person walking is noticeable to be honest you can't quite see if it is turning around in a corner or just going straight, I'll take the title of the film as true and suppose the corner is indeed there, but it would be nice to see it clearly Let's hope a professional restoration of the film is made shortly so we can appreciate this early film correctly, it shouldn't be a lot of work, after all the movie is just a few seconds long and it would be worthy considering this man invented cinema and this is one of the earliest works in film history.
13 Reviews
Is This a Film?
boblipton10 July 2016
The trivia on the IMDb... entry is as good a word as any, I suppose ... says this is not a film. It was shot on a device of LePrince's devising which used sixteen lenses. By triggering then in order, he got an image over a span of time... sort of. The positions of the lenses differed, which meant that the series, when viewed, jumped around.
This tentative groping towards an explanation forces us either to define what a film is narrowly, or to understand the organic process that led to what we call a film now. The former leads us to pettifog over details that are often irrelevant, and the latter provides us with no clear answer to the question of what film is. Do we in the 21st century, who frequently watch "movies" shot on digital cameras, processed in computers and viewed on our computers even watch films?
I prefer to think as film as a recorded moving image which we view, one produced by a process which, in its commercial forms, includes films, movies, television, and other related items. It did not arise suddenly, but evolved out of earlier technologies, which include flip books, magic lanterns, phantasmagorias and such nineteenth century devices as praxizooscopes and kinegraphs.
If you accept that attitude, then the question of whether this is a film becomes irrelevant. It may not be a film by some technical definition, but it an important artifact in the development of that art.
This tentative groping towards an explanation forces us either to define what a film is narrowly, or to understand the organic process that led to what we call a film now. The former leads us to pettifog over details that are often irrelevant, and the latter provides us with no clear answer to the question of what film is. Do we in the 21st century, who frequently watch "movies" shot on digital cameras, processed in computers and viewed on our computers even watch films?
I prefer to think as film as a recorded moving image which we view, one produced by a process which, in its commercial forms, includes films, movies, television, and other related items. It did not arise suddenly, but evolved out of earlier technologies, which include flip books, magic lanterns, phantasmagorias and such nineteenth century devices as praxizooscopes and kinegraphs.
If you accept that attitude, then the question of whether this is a film becomes irrelevant. It may not be a film by some technical definition, but it an important artifact in the development of that art.
Oldest movie ever
vukelic-stjepan16 December 2015
First, I must admit that I never heard about Louise Le Prince before I went in search for a oldest movie ever recorded. I heard about many movie pioneers, but never for Le Prince.
Now, I am very happy that i saw oldest movie ever recorded and I must recommend all people who want see this movie to watch it in slow motion (you can find slow motion version on YT), and you can find a version with all 16 frames remastered there (some versions have only 13 frames - two lost, one bad quality). Also, my recommendation is to find and read on internet about this movie and Le Prince, and you will find very interesting story.
Now, I am very happy that i saw oldest movie ever recorded and I must recommend all people who want see this movie to watch it in slow motion (you can find slow motion version on YT), and you can find a version with all 16 frames remastered there (some versions have only 13 frames - two lost, one bad quality). Also, my recommendation is to find and read on internet about this movie and Le Prince, and you will find very interesting story.
Brief Frame Sequence
Tornado_Sam8 June 2017
Although often referred to as such, this two-second clip from 1887 by Louis le Prince is not an actual film at all. While in some ways it could be considered animation, the manner in which it was shot is important as to its qualification. Like the Eadweard Muybridge studies, "Man Walking Around the Corner" is compiled of a frame sequence of sixteen well-shot photographs to create the illusion of movement. The true first celluloid film is Le Prince's own "Roundhay Garden Scene" (1888), recorded on real motion picture filmstock, followed by "Traffic Crossing Leeds Bridge" of the same year. As stated by reviewer boblipton, this film is then available as a listing on IMDb only as an early attempt to start the development of motion pictures, as an artifact of the preliminary stages of the medium.
Since I last edited/wrote this review, the problem concerning the picture quality of this frame sequence has been addressed. As other IMDb reviewers state, the two second short is "needing a restoration", etc, and rightfully so. This Louis le Prince film has been available for many years in a blurry, unwatchable format, which hardly allows us to appreciate the movement created by the photography or the details in the setting. The film is now rendered in a much crisper, nicer HD copy on YouTube--a huge improvement over the other one--and looks just as restored as "Roundhay Garden Scene" and "Traffic Crossing the Leeds Bridge". It's nice to see it looking much more cleaned up, and if you are interested this copy is the recommendable one.
The title tells us what to expect, although it remains somewhat inaccurate since the man appears to be walking across the corner, rather than around it. This is a minor thing to point out, however, and the movement is well-shot, although the identity of the man walking seems to be unknown.
Since I last edited/wrote this review, the problem concerning the picture quality of this frame sequence has been addressed. As other IMDb reviewers state, the two second short is "needing a restoration", etc, and rightfully so. This Louis le Prince film has been available for many years in a blurry, unwatchable format, which hardly allows us to appreciate the movement created by the photography or the details in the setting. The film is now rendered in a much crisper, nicer HD copy on YouTube--a huge improvement over the other one--and looks just as restored as "Roundhay Garden Scene" and "Traffic Crossing the Leeds Bridge". It's nice to see it looking much more cleaned up, and if you are interested this copy is the recommendable one.
The title tells us what to expect, although it remains somewhat inaccurate since the man appears to be walking across the corner, rather than around it. This is a minor thing to point out, however, and the movement is well-shot, although the identity of the man walking seems to be unknown.
You get what you are told.
Horst_In_Translation4 September 2013
Warning: Spoilers
A man walking around a corner. Unfortunately, even at its short length, part of the 16-frame-film has gone lost or unusable, so to be completely frank, you possibly wouldn't even know what's happening in these few seconds if the title didn't tell you.
Louis Aimé Augustin Le Prince, the director's 3 other works are thankfully preserved in a better fashion, including Traffic Crossing Leeds Bridge, The Accordion Player and the very famous Roundhay Garden Scene. Sadly, fate prevented this talented man from becoming one of the truly big names of early motion picture history when he disappeared in 1890 and was never seen again. Thankfully, his legacy lives on.
Louis Aimé Augustin Le Prince, the director's 3 other works are thankfully preserved in a better fashion, including Traffic Crossing Leeds Bridge, The Accordion Player and the very famous Roundhay Garden Scene. Sadly, fate prevented this talented man from becoming one of the truly big names of early motion picture history when he disappeared in 1890 and was never seen again. Thankfully, his legacy lives on.
Oldest Movie Ever!!!
fanatikfilem4 March 2022
Review: Man Walking Around a Corner (1887)
Genres: Documentary, Short
Runtime: 1 min
English
This is a damaged first film in the world. It's been said the length is about 13 seconds however only a frame sequence featuring a man walking around a corner survive.
Malay Man Walking Around the Corner adalah cebisan filem yang terselamat yang merupakan rakaman imej bergerak pertama dunia. Dikatakan rakaman asal mempunyai durasi 13 saat akan tetapi hanya 2 saat dari rakaman tersebut berjaya terselamat. Seperti juga tajuknya rakaman ini hanya memaparkan seorang lelaki berjalan.
Malay Man Walking Around the Corner adalah cebisan filem yang terselamat yang merupakan rakaman imej bergerak pertama dunia. Dikatakan rakaman asal mempunyai durasi 13 saat akan tetapi hanya 2 saat dari rakaman tersebut berjaya terselamat. Seperti juga tajuknya rakaman ini hanya memaparkan seorang lelaki berjalan.
Not the first film, but Le Prince had the right idea
AlsExGal21 July 2021
Louis Le Prince, motion picture pioneer, took 16 photos, one each from a different lens on his special made camera, of a man rounding a corner in Paris. The 16 images were combined to produce the effect of a motion picture one second in length of the man turning the corner. The following year Le Prince would develop a one lens camera that operated on a similar principle and make what is now considered the first film - "Roundhay Garden Scene".
Le Prince would disappear mysteriously on his way to America in 1890, never to be seen again. The book "The Missing Reel" deals with the mystery and what might have happened to him. The documentary "The First Film" discusses Le Prince's work in the invention of motion pictures.
Le Prince would disappear mysteriously on his way to America in 1890, never to be seen again. The book "The Missing Reel" deals with the mystery and what might have happened to him. The documentary "The First Film" discusses Le Prince's work in the invention of motion pictures.
Deserves More Attention
luisisswag25 July 2019
Nice attempt
catpantry31 January 2020
Stuff like this happends all the time (walking around a corner). What people probably didn't notice: the pigeon peaking from the storm drain. Not too much is known about that! But burt canyon (a young tester) has been doing the research. Hes been in a hotel room 134 days filling it with post-its that all say: 'hidden reasons.'
Outstanding Work of Art
dylanhammond-065084 December 2015
This is the finest piece of art I have ever seen. The man walking around the corner has been called a "modern masterpiece" (Joel Taylor, 2015), to which I can agree. It brings the quality of all media to a new level. Any who wants to try and make a film should watch this first to get an idea of where the bar has been set. In the words of the great Louis Aimé Augustin Le Prince, "It is not about the length, or the camera quality of the video, but it is about the emotional drive and the attachment that the audience has with the Man Walking Around the Corner, and our star, the man walking around the corner." Excellent watch, I would recommend this to every aspiring film-maker.
Who is the MAN
MusaShinwari24 April 2020
Where's the sequel?
flippyfrogman30 May 2022
Honestly, man walking around the corner was a pretty good film, speaking as a film critic. Watched it back in the 1880's with my family, pumped for the premiere. Was not disappointed. It's exactly what it says on the tin, and to be honest, the titular man walking around the corner is a pretty endearing character and his arc of walking around the corner is pretty interesting and well developed. Overall, this film is a solid watch and I would definitely recommend checking it out. 9/10 please pick it up when you get the chance (unfortunately no streaming services have this film)
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