Carmaux, défournage du coke

This short 'documentary' can be found on the Landmarks of Early Film DVD. I was surprised at the title. And even more surprised when I saw this short movie. That stuff looked like... well, it couldn't be. I found out that 'coke' in France actually meant something else, something to do with fuel or something, but anyway, I was important. The camera, high up, films the process of drawing out a large white block from a cave or mine of some sort. Then they hose it down and some chunks fall off. I just loved these little shorts. Sure, years later they arent as revolutionary as they were then. But even the boring ones arent boring because they only last a few seconds. And they're so fascinating to watch, the people around them, the whole strange process. It makes you start thinking about how lucky these people were to be captured on film like that. They are long dead, but as long as this film exists, they will never die. Nor will that strange white.. fuel.. coke... stuff.

My grade: 7/10

In the twenty-first century, 'coke' has a number of meanings and most have been the subject of films. I had to go to Webster's Dictionary to find out that the coke filmed in this movie is the product of coal that is "heated in ovens to remove gasses thus transforming it into coke which burns with intense heat and little smoke and is used as an industrial fuel". Carmeiux is close to Lyon, so Lumiere did not have to go far to document this process.

'Carmaux, Défournage du Coke' is another early single shot created by Lumière. It shows, as we learn from the title of course, a large block of coke drawn out of a mine or something like that. One worker seems to cool the hot coke with some water from a hose while others tear the block to spread the separated pieces.

Like all these early little films it is interesting to watch. They are too short to become boring and realizing that you are watching an event that happened over hundred years ago makes it interesting anyway. With this one it is also fun to spot other little things that happen on-screen.

This short Lumiere actuality film features a block of coke (some kind of coal) being drawn out of an oven. Workers approach. Some are hosing the block to cool it, and others use long tools to tear the block apart. The subject of this film is lots more interesting than other times and it is pretty interesting watching. Once more it is a moment in time, which makes it worth seeing for anyone. The film can be found in the DVD set called "The Movies Begin: A Treasury of Early Cinema" by Kino.

Carmaux: Drawing Out the Coke (1896)

The Lumiere Brothers are behind this actuality film that captures a day on the job as some workers are pushing coke out of a smelter and into the yard where water is poured on it. I've always enjoyed watching films from this era because it gives you a view of what life (and in this case, work) were like back in the day. We get to see how things were done, what people were wearing and so forth. If you want an acurate look at this job in 1896 then here you go. There's nothing ground-breaking here but it's still fascinating to watch today.