This film is part of Free
View from an Engine Front - Train Leaving Tunnel
And we're off! Take a ride on a steam engine into total darkness, but never fear, there's light at the end of the tunnel
Overview
They called them "phantom rides" - these hugely popular films gave audiences the spooky sensation of movement while sitting still. Early film-makers would attach their cameras to trains and film the changing views. This particular film plays an extra trick on the audience, starting with a static shot of a train coming towards the camera, so when we start to move it's more of a surprise. And there's extra drama when the train enters the darkness of the tunnel - and emerges into daylight again.
Having gained permission from the South Western Railway Company to shoot a series of these phantom rides, Cecil Hepworth constructed a camera for the purpose. He described it as a "long, narrow, black box, rather like a coffin standing on end" and it could hold 1,000 feet of film. It was tied to the engine's safety rail, with a seat for Hepworth and the station master. In early British film The Kiss in the Tunnel (1899), a couple in a train carriage enjoy a quick clinch in the dark. How many lovers in the audience for this film would have taken the chance for a private moment?
Related
The Derby 1896 The Derby 1896
Non-Fiction 1896 0 mins Silent
A pioneering example of filmed news: from Epsom to the screen in record time
Feeding the Tigers Feeding the Tigers
Interest film 1899 1 mins Silent
A big cat has to perform for its supper in this early actuality film
H.M.S. Powerful Moored at Portsmouth H.M.S. Powerful Moored at Portsmouth
Non-Fiction 1900 0 mins Silent Location: Portsmouth
Take a good look at one of the era's largest warships - the hefty H.M.S. Powerful, back from the Boer War
Belfast Street Scenes 1890's Belfast Street Scenes 1890's
Non-Fiction 1898 2 mins Silent Location: Belfast
A view down the High Street featuring the Albert Clock, a shot of Queen's Bridge and the docks
Beach Scene Beach Scene
Non-Fiction 1897 1 mins Silent
A charming image of children paddling on a pebbly beach on a hot summer's day
Beagles Beagles
Amateur film 1898 2 mins Silent
A pack of beagles are assembled for a hunt by their trainers and a huntsman
New Perspectives: La Haine New Perspectives: La Haine
Short documentary 2025 4 mins
Charlie Hammersley, a student from Northumbria University, explains how Mathieu Kassovitz's 1995 film holds up a mirror to society.
Dreamers Q&A Dreamers Q&A
Inside Film 2025 30 mins
The film-makers behind a haunting tale of love and community within a UK immigration detention centre visited the BFI Southbank to discuss their film.
Paul Thomas Anderson and Leonardo DiCaprio in Conversation Paul Thomas Anderson and Leonardo DiCaprio in Conversation
Inside Film 2025 50 mins
Paul Thomas Anderson and Leonardo DiCaprio in Conversation at BFI Southbank, discussing the making of One Battle After Another.
Laura Mulvey in Conversation Laura Mulvey in Conversation
Inside Film 2025 76 mins
Laura Mulvey in conversation, following her BFI Fellowship Award.
George Clooney in Conversation George Clooney in Conversation
Inside Film 2025 74 mins
George Clooney visited BFI Southbank to look back on his life and career.
Chloé Zhao Screen Talk | BFI London Film Festival 2025 Chloé Zhao Screen Talk | BFI London Film Festival 2025
Inside Film 2025 65 mins
The Oscar®- winning director of Nomadland discusses her unique approach to filmmaking and the inspiration behind the adaptation of Hamnet.