AllMovie

An engaging, broad-based, and informative exploration of the pre-history of movies, this documentary is one of the rare cinematographic looks at the origins of the filmmaker's craft. Director Werner Nekes uses his own collection of "motion picture" techniques to illustrate a chronological progression through the 17th to the 20th centuries, from playing with visual tricks to developing mechanical illusions of movement, and finally, using electricity to create new forms of visual experience. In addition to this tour of devices and their effects, Nekes also provides valuable information on which museums hold significant collections of pre-film and film history, and on which books are the best on the subject.