What can you say about Fencing from 1892? quite little considering its runtime but here I'll comment everything I think is worth from this second long picture. This was one of several W.K.L Dickson experimental films meant only to test the kinetoscope and the different motion capture techniques, it was never supposed to be seen by an audience instead it was a way to learn how to do the movies that, starting on 1893, were shown to people. However years after it was made its images were recovered and today it can be seen on the Internet.
Fencing was one of four sports films made that year, of those it is the only one I've been able to locate, but all of them had something in common, they were the first movies filmed on a 35mm. format that would later become the standard in the industry. On the other hand I have to highlight that it is the shortest film I've ever seen, in order to really appreciate it you have to run it several times, but that's not a problem, you'll see it 15 times in 15 seconds and you will still have a quarter of a minute to do with it whatever you please, so there's really no reason to miss this. the few remaining photogram shows us two fencer face to face, the one at the left has his weapon up and he's waiting, his rival starts on a rest position but then moves his sword up to meet his foe, at the same time he moves up his free arm to take a combat position. When the swords touch the film ends.
During movies history there has been many exciting sword fight scenes, specially in adventure movies, that makes it something very cinematographic and, while fencing as a sport has not been really showcased in movies, I think it is quite meaningful that one of the first sport films ever (boxing won by one year) has been starred by two sword men. Besides this interesting historic facts the film has not much to offer, so you must see it as a curiosity. The film falls short even by its time standards, by that year longer scenes were already captured so this falls short comparing it even with its contemporaries; but of course it was never meant to be seen.
Fencing was one of four sports films made that year, of those it is the only one I've been able to locate, but all of them had something in common, they were the first movies filmed on a 35mm. format that would later become the standard in the industry. On the other hand I have to highlight that it is the shortest film I've ever seen, in order to really appreciate it you have to run it several times, but that's not a problem, you'll see it 15 times in 15 seconds and you will still have a quarter of a minute to do with it whatever you please, so there's really no reason to miss this. the few remaining photogram shows us two fencer face to face, the one at the left has his weapon up and he's waiting, his rival starts on a rest position but then moves his sword up to meet his foe, at the same time he moves up his free arm to take a combat position. When the swords touch the film ends.
During movies history there has been many exciting sword fight scenes, specially in adventure movies, that makes it something very cinematographic and, while fencing as a sport has not been really showcased in movies, I think it is quite meaningful that one of the first sport films ever (boxing won by one year) has been starred by two sword men. Besides this interesting historic facts the film has not much to offer, so you must see it as a curiosity. The film falls short even by its time standards, by that year longer scenes were already captured so this falls short comparing it even with its contemporaries; but of course it was never meant to be seen.