The Miller and Chimney Sweep

As far as ancient films are concerned, "The Miller and the Sweep" is noteworthy for being an early British comedy and particularly for being a forerunner of later chase films and slapstick comedies. The chase film was one of the more important early film genres because of its influence on the development of continuity editing. "The Miller and the Sweep" and another early chase comedy "Chinese Laundry Scene" (1894), which was made by the Edison Company and based on a vaudeville act, consist of only one shot and scene, though. The chase film's effect on multi-shot films seems to have began with "Stop Thief!" (1901), which was made by Smith's friend and neighbor in Brighton-Hove, James Williamson. The chase comedy, it seems, became popular after "Personal" (1904)--leading to the popular Pathé chase comedies, then the Keystone films and eventually the chases in Buster Keaton's movies.

In its brief minute-or-so running time, "The Miller and the Sweep" begins with some messy knockabout slapstick between a miller with his bag of flour and a chimneysweeper and his bag of soot. Their wrestling then turns into a very brief comedic chase. None of the direction is particularly exceptional, as the episode takes place entirely before a stationary camera and within a limited 52 feet of film. In the background, a flourmill serves as a landmark. According to John Barnes ("The Beginnings of the Cinema in England 1894-1901"), it was the Race Hill Mill, located in Brighton.

In a larger context, "The Miller and the Sweep" is not an especially important film, and it's rather awkwardly constructed even for 1897, but the filmmaker who made it, George Albert Smith, was one of the more important pioneers of early cinema. Many of his films after this one (which was very early in his career), in ways, surpass anything else made by others (including the more acclaimed Edwin Porter and Georges Méliès), as Smith experimented with editing, some of the earliest multi-shot films, trick effects, close-ups and scene dissection.

On a further historical note, thanks to the comparatively detailed records of Smith's film production, Barnes also mentions that Smith first failed to produce a version of "The Miller and the Sweep" on 24 June 1897. This film is his second and successful try at the subject, filmed on 24 September 1897. Additionally, the following year, Robert W. Paul remade this film with the same title, so it must have been rather popular. In the Movies Begin series, it's claimed that the subject had a tradition in comic strips and stage acts.

I watched this film on a DVD that was rammed with short films from the period. I didn't watch all of them as the main problem with these type of things that their value is more in their historical novelty value rather than entertainment. So to watch them you do need to be put in the correct context so that you can keep this in mind and not watch it with modern eyes. With the Primitives & Pioneers DVD collection though you get nothing to help you out, literally the films are played one after the other (the main menu option is "play all") for several hours. With this it is hard to understand their relevance and as an educational tool it falls down as it leaves the viewer to fend for themselves, which I'm sure is fine for some viewers but certainly not the majority. What it means is that the DVD saves you searching the web for the films individually by putting them all in one place – but that's about it.

Planktonrules says, had this film come later it might have been of no value but in 1898 it was part of early development of cinema. However I think he does it a disservice because this was a period where some films were still simple shots of normal action which relied on the novelty value of the audience seeing it on the screen more than anything else. However to me the Miller & the Sweep is an interesting piece of comedy because of its simple visual gag. Not particularly funny, but this film has two extremes and then sees them essentially discolour one another. The miller is white and gets turned black by the coal dust from the miner and vice versa due to the miller's flour.

It is not hilarious but it is a nice idea and the delivery is good in that the miller is very clean and white, while the sweep is very black – an effective juxtaposition. Not great then but I liked the use of the clashing colours and the fact that the look of the film had been designed and delivery as opposed to being a shot of an event.

A fine ironic visual gag takes place in front of the spectacular backdrop of a twirling windmill. But who are those people who rush across screen at the end: customers? relatives? One of the earliest enigmas in cinematic history perhaps. Well worth a minute of your time.

This early slapstick comedy is entertaining to watch now, and for 1898 exceptional considering many films at the time had no story at all. So, for the time, this film is good for 1898 because not only does it have a story to tell, it's a contender for one of the earliest comedies. All that happens is that a miller bumps into a chimney sweep and then they fight. A crowd then enters the scene and chases after them for no real apparent reason. It's a pretty fun 30 seconds even if it's not all that funny today.

This is pretty good slapstick - it's a good movie for its time, and even if it were a sequence in a movie a little later on in the silent era, it would still be pretty good. The scenario is based on an idea that at the time was often used in music hall sketches and the like, but as with a lot of such ideas, the film-makers still had to adapt it so as to overcome the limitations of movie-making in the 19th century.

The simple story highlights a confrontation between a miller dressed in white, who is carrying a bag of flour, and a chimney sweep covered in dark soot. The fracas that ensues has some good moments, and it uses the basic idea pretty well.

Although a stage version at the time could have added extra humor by making use of dialogue, the film-makers instead added to the basic setup by using an outdoor setting, and by adding some extra material at the end.

So, besides being funny, it's a resourceful feature and a very early example of good technique in adapting stage material to the different needs of the screen.