Review #887: L'Arroseur Arrose (1895)

Title: L'Arroseur Arrose
Year: 1895
Director(s): Lumiere Brothers
Country: France
Language: N/A

L'Arroseur Arrose is a short film by the Lumiere Brothers that contains a surprising amount of firsts. It has the distinction of being the earliest known instance of film comedy, as well as the first use of film to portray a fictional story. The latter probably being the most interesting fact because the Lumieres were best known for their disinterest in fiction and fascination with documentary. Another first is that the poster for L'Arroseur arrosé is the first poster ever designed to promote an individual film.

The film portrays a simple practical joke in which a gardener is tormented by a boy who steps on the hose that the gardener is using to water his plants, cutting off the water flow. When the gardener tilts the nozzle up to inspect it, the boy releases the hose, causing the water to spray him.

The poster for L'Arroseur, illustrated by Marcellin Auzolle, was quite unique for the time because, while early posters would promote a whole slew of pictures at once, touting their technological advancement over potential competitors, this poster was for the individual film and was fairly simplistic. The film itself was filmed by means of the Cinématographe, an all-in-one camera, which also serves as a film projector and developer.

The film has quite a charm and contains a modestly humorous slapstick joke that would be paid homage to by film comedians throughout Cinematic history. In this joke I see Charles Chaplin, Groucho Marx, The Three Stooges, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd and so many others. For the beginning of comedy it is a remarkably good place to start. One of the few "first" films that is entertaining along with having immense historic value. 

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