This very endearing Lumière feature shows a group of persons competing in a friendly, old-fashioned "Sack Race", and it is quite enjoyable to watch. It is lively, good-natured, and often funny. Whether it was spontaneous or whether it was staged in part for the camera, it works quite well in preserving the fun time had by a group of people from long ago.
The nature of the subject leads you to expect some humorous moments, and it will probably remind many viewers of similar experiences that they have had themselves. What makes the footage work particularly well is not the successful competitors who know what they are doing, but rather those who have to struggle along at the risk of embarrassment. After a short time, the scene becomes rather disorderly, in a humorous way, as the crowd of humans and dogs gets tangled up with the racers.
The best part of the movie is one man who is having a terrible time figuring out how to hop in his sack. As embarrassed as he must have felt, he takes it in stride, and he even seems to be enjoying himself. His facial expressions make it impossible not to like him and root for him. The rest of this short movie likewise is hard not to enjoy.
The usual good quality of Lumière's films is present here, with the composition and other technical aspects being done well. But this is one case in which the technical side is completely upstaged by the enjoyable material.
