Revisiting the Classic:The Great Train Robbery

The Great Train Robbery, 1903

Directed by: Edwin S. Porter

Link to film



The Great Train Robbery was a short (12 mins), silent film made in 1903. The movie is set in the American Old West and focuses on a band of outlaws who plan and carry out a risky train heist. Below are some major scenes that make up the plot: The opening title cards of the movie suggest what that the audience is going to see is a recreation of a real rail heist that happened in the West. The group of criminals that meet at their hideout to make plans for the robbery. They plan and talk through every detail of their theft, such as how they will halt the train and pass the security guards. The criminals begin to move as the train gets closer. They use a number of methods, including telling the engineer to halt the train and separating the engine from the other cars. Then they proceed to raid the mail car, stealing bags of valuables and letters. The thieves then steal from the passengers as they pass through the passenger cars. Then they break into a telegraph office to stop the station from sending immediate warnings, hoping to slow down any pursuit. They take their riches with them and ride out into the distance on horseback. A posse is quickly formed, and they set out on horseback to pursue the escaping outlaws. A thrilling chase continues, ending in a dramatic gun fight between the posse and the criminals. The posse eventually defeats the outlaws, and several of them are either killed or captured. The posse finds the stolen goods and gives them back to the train's passengers. The remaining outlaws are caught at the end, and law and order returns.


In this film, there is not a typical 3-act arch due to the fact that the film is 12 minutes long but the movie is separated into 14 main scenes that carry the plot.

In "The Great Train Robbery," the focus is more on the execution of the train robbery, rather than on any specific object or goal. 










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