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Movie poster: Surprise Attack on a House at Daybreak (1898)
🎬 Movie

Surprise Attack on a House at Daybreak

1898 · 1 min War
4.9 / 10 · TMDB

Soldiers ambush a house. This is Gaumont's version, not to be confused with the less accessible Lumière of the same title from the same year. There is no director credited for this film, but the GP archives attributes it either to Gaston Breteau or to Georges Hatot (but not to Alice Guy). Since Gaston Breteau worked earlier for Lumiére and remade some of his films for Gaumont, he seems the most probable option.

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📋 Film Details

Original Title Surprise d'une maison au petit jour
Year 1898
Country France
Genre War
Director Alice Guy-Blaché
Runtime 1 min.
Rating TMDB: 4.9/10 (18 votes)

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🎬 MovieFinder's Take

The film constructs its tension through the stark contrast of a peaceful dawn and the soldiers' systematic advance, relying on a static frame to present a self-contained vignette. It explores pure visual storytelling, where narrative emerges solely from action and composition.

What lingers after viewing is a sense of witnessing a foundational moment for cinema, where simplicity and clarity of purpose deliver a potent dramatic punch. It’s a stark, early blueprint for screen conflict. — MovieFinder Editorial

Director: Alice Guy-Blaché

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Watch in silence as a historical artifact, appreciating the genre's origins.

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