That Fatal Sneeze

Invisible wires were the go-to special effects technique back in 1907 as the British short comedy "That Fatal Sneeze" proves by using with great frequency. Director Lewin Fitzhamon, the creator of the first dog and animal hero in movies, 1905's "Rescued By Rover," builds up this "avenge" plot with increasing intensity as each sneeze produces more people chasing the sneezer. Another unique feature is Fitzhamon places his camera on a rocking board to "sway" the earth towards the end, as well as using a Melies' trick of stopping the camera--and replacing the sneezer with a screen of smoke. Lastly, Fitzhamon's tight editing with each sequence highlighting a comedy skit is quicker and crisper than previous "chase" films. Fatal Sneeze is truly a huge leap in the evolution towards today's cinematic aesthetics .

An elderly man plagues a small boy by putting pepper all over his food and making him sneeze uncontrollably. Later that night when the man is asleep the boy sneaks into his room and puts pepper all over his clothes and possessions. The next morning sees the man unable to stop sneezing but it is not the frequency of the sneezing that is the real problem but rather the power.

Firstly you really need to try and ignore the performance of the young boy in this film because he is awful; and not by modern standards but by the standards of those around him as well. His fist waving at the dinner table is so unconvincing that I was laughing before the jokes started coming. Outside of this though (and he keeps mincing along in each scene) the film is actually pretty amusing and is a very good example of early special effects humour and the destructive sneeze gag that others continued to use afterwards. The various scenes of things falling apart are amusing and mostly very well done even if some are better than others. The final shot is a simple cut but it was delivered very sharply, well edited and in time with the music and it worked really well.

Worth seeing then because as well as having value as part of cinematic history in the UK, it is also genuinely quite amusing.

When you watch this movie, you should consider it as something made in 1907, the one reel era of cinema. And this film is truly using the technology of film to the maximum. The way to create the feeling of shaking by shaking camera is truly amazing idea and the editing is still compilable by all the filmmaker nowadays.

This is an interesting combination of some very good camera effects and a very silly story. Overall, it's still worth seeing, even as long ago as it was filmed. The premise is no flimsier than those used for a lot of full-length features in more recent times, and the camera work holds up quite well.

The simple story starts with an older man and a youth (apparently relatives of some kind) playing practical jokes on each other with pepper, and soon things get out of hand, with some outlandish results. It's thoroughly goofy, but because the camera effects are done well, it works well enough to be entertaining much of the time. It does go on a bit too long, and would probably have been better if they had not drawn it out quite so long before wrapping things up.

Since the beginning of motion picture, by the Lumière brothers in 1985, for the next decade forward films where made which where there to attract an audience, like theatre. Theses films did not have anything in the way of acting or composition but where simply there to show an artistic view to the motion picture. Almost like Photography.

But this film in 1907 was one of many such as 'The Impossible Voyage' in 1904 and 'king lea' in 1910, to show a narrative which was not like theatre but more on the way of we are intruding into someone Else's life. This was the beginning of how films are seen today.

Due to this films quirky camera shots and over flamboyant acting, i give this a smashing 9 out of ten. A true film from the beginning of movie making.