
The documentary The Lumière Brothers’ First Films presents eighty-five of Auguste and Louis Lumière’s earliest works, dated 1895–1897. Their most famous films are all included, and presented impeccably: windowboxed to prevent cropping, restored from their original negatives, and with no graphics obscuring the image. This reveals the films’ unusual diagonal perspectives and multi-layered compositions, and the surprising depth of focus the Lumières achieved. The commentary, by Bernard Tavernier, is passionate and witty.