American Falls from Above, American Side (1896) watch online HD

This Edison Company footage taken from the American side of Niagara Falls is interesting, in itself and in comparison with the Lumière footage taken not long afterwards. The earliest film-makers found Niagara Falls to be a very tempting subject, and many different attempts were made to capture the beauty and power of the falls. Unfortunately, not many of these attempts survive to be viewed today.

In this feature, the vantage point provides a clear view of the American Falls, with Goat Island in the background. It's not quite as close as Lumière's camera was able to get, and so it doesn't create quite as powerful of an effect, but the view is good in itself. Still photographs of the falls are often beautiful in themselves, but only a moving picture can really convey the force of the water as it rushes by and pours over the edge.

The foreground also has an interesting detail that the Lumière footage does not have. While both show some spectators watching the falls from an observation point, this Edison feature also manages to catch someone else in the act of setting up a camera. The print is not quite clear enough now to tell exactly what kind of camera it is, leaving it an intriguing, if minor, mystery.

The Lumière footage "Niagara" creates a more powerful effect, but this footage of the falls is also worth seeing, and it has interesting aspects of its own.

Part of Edison's "New Niagara Falls" series.

Awesome look at the landscape over 100 years ago. A bit too far away for my liking but you can still enjoy the beauty on a winters day. It appears there are a couple of photographers in the picture as well.

Filmed early December 1896, at Niagara Falls, New York.

Great shot of history.

8*(10* Rating System)

American Falls from Above, American Style (1896)

*** (out of 4)

Edison short was one of many that they did centered around Niagra Falls, which was a very popular subject back in the early days of cinema. It's hard to imagine what it would have been like, walking into a movie for the first time, and seeing something like the falls and on that level this short remains fairly interesting after all these years. We see the falls from the American side and also get to witness three people standing on an observation deck and their frantic hand gestures makes you think they're having a wonderful time. The camera angle looking at the falls is a very good one and it is interesting to compare this to the footage shot by the Lumiere brothers a few years later.

This film is for all these who will never stand on top of a majestic waterfall. Sure it's not half as interesting to us as to those two standing there in the video right next to the waterfall and seeing the whole spectacle as it happens and hearing the loud noise from the water splashing, but it's still an okay watch. Of course there's no noise for us yet unfortunately and the video quality is sub-par at best. Their gestures say it all. Their dog unfortunately does not really appreciate the scene as he keeps running around aimlessly. Okay watch for silent film enthusiasts, 20 not too interesting seconds of very early nature documentary for everybody else.

During this 16.62-second documentary, three people in black winter coats are seen on the brink of a massive waterfall. It is mid-winter, as there is a plethora of ice coating the trees on the Canadian side of the river. The woman, carrying a light colored bundle, soon slinks away (out of view of the surveillance camera) to the left of the screen. Meanwhile, her two male companions commence a vicious argument. Guy #1 remonstrates against dude #2 for throwing the first twin over the precipice (just before this short begins). The second ruffian takes a gander over the edge and says something to the effect of, "Itz still wriggling, so no harm done." (This footage is shot from a distant perspective, so even the best effort of lip reading on the part of viewers may wind up a tad off.) As the thrower pulls back from the watery abyss, his critic goes even more ballistic, gesticulating wildly toward the tragedy waiting to happen at the foot of the falls. At this point, the second antagonist tries to saunter off past the distraught woman with a nonchalant air. However, as the censors chop off the climax to this woeful tale, it is clear the angrier man is about to grab the would-be absconder by the scruff his coat and fling him after twin #1!