"Arrival of a Train" vs. "Damsel in Distress": Realist vs. Classical

In "Arrival of a Train" the film is composed of exactly one shot. This reflects the beliefs and ideals found in realist films where the filmmaker gives the audience a plethora of details to take in within one shot. The picture is composed of essentially an establishing shot as well as an anticipatory shot of the train in the beginning. The movement in the shot is organic and is composed of people entering and leaving a train. The editor isn't inserting shots to raise awareness with certain details but instead is trying to capture reality, therefore a story isn't necessarily constructed by the filmmaker by instead is left up to the audience's interpretation

"Damsel in Distress" represents more of the classical ideas of cutting where details are highlighted within the scene. Contrast cutting is used to create tension as the film cuts from shots of the damsel to the train quickly approaching. The types of shots used is varied in composition. However, the composition of the shots emphasize the tension build-up as well as the nobility and heroism of the dog. The narrative is told using sub-stories as the dog tries to help the damsel in distress. In doing so, borders in the frame help to emphasize details that help to focus the filmmaker's intent into the story.