Final answer:
Edwin S. Porter's 'The Great Train Robbery' pioneered innovative editing techniques and dynamic storytelling, pointing to a future of movies centered around technological advancement and creative narratives. Its use of the American West and trains tapped into contemporary cultural fascinations and the ending's direct engagement with viewers foreshadowed the importance of audience impact in cinema.
Step-by-step explanation:
Edwin S. Porter's film The Great Train Robbery was a significant advance in film technique when it was released in 1903 due to its utilization of innovative editing techniques. Porter employed a number of then-novel cinematic methods, such as cross-cutting, camera movement, and on-location shooting. The film showcased a more dynamic way of storytelling, hinting at the medium's future potential to create more intricate and engaging narratives. Its success suggested that the future of movies as entertainment would be driven by technological innovations and creative storytelling that could captivate audiences and immerse them in the action.
Porter's decision to focus on a movie about the West appealed to audiences of the time due to the mythos of the American frontier and the widespread fascination with the notions of adventure and exploration. Trains were a favorite subject matter in early films as they symbolized progress and were a means of connection between distant places. The iconic ending scene, where one of the robbers fires directly at the camera, was a startling and provocative image that invited the audience to engage actively with the spectacle. It indicated a willingness to explore psychological effects on audiences, a concept that would become increasingly important in the future of cinema.