BFI

Winding swiftly around the hillside of Ilfracombe in Devon, this 'phantom ride' drives the viewer all the way to the station at the end of the line. For an 1898 film shot in a single continuous take, it is impressively long. The wild bends of the track give the film a similar feel to a roller coaster ride. Indeed, in the earliest days of cinema moving pictures often found a home at the fairground, and the purely cinematic spectacle of the phantom ride is a clear ancestor of both the simulated rides found in modern theme parks and of the concept of the 'roller coaster ride' movie experience.

Filmed as part of a series (along with the 1898 View From an Engine Front - Barnstaple), this film was reportedly shot by Cecil Hepworth. The following year, having formed his own company, Hepworth released the films View From an Engine Front - Shilla Mill Tunnel and View From an Engine Front - Train Leaving Tunnel.

Christian Hayes

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