BFI

R.W. Paul's catalogue describes the content of this film as "Steam launch, from which one of the passengers drops a child, which is promptly rescued by a swimmer from the bank", and an alternative title is the far more descriptive Scene on the River Thames, showing the rescue of a child from drowning.

These descriptions are very helpful (indeed, arguably essential) because the camera has unfortunately been positioned behind an agitated spectator, who in turn is directly behind the rescuers. As a result, the dramatic focus of the film (the rescue of the small child) becomes almost entirely obscured. The frustrated audience has to glean clues as to what's going on from touches such as a lifebelt floating in the bottom left-hand corner of the frame.

Known to have been screened in August 1896, this makes Up The River one of Paul's very first attempts at narrative drama. Subsequent films prove that he quickly mastered the lessons taught by the failure of this one, and many of them would be models of intelligent camera placement.

Michael Brooke

*This film is included in the BFI DVD compilation 'R.W. Paul: The Collected Films 1895-1908', with music by Stephen Horne and optional commentary by Ian Christie.

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