Cinema i Cultura de Masses segons Román Gubern

In a medium close-up shot of the first kiss ever recorded on screen, two fervent lovers cuddle and talk passionately at hair's breadth, just before the love-smitten gentleman decides to give his chosen one an innocent peck.

The coronation of the Russian Tsar Nicholas II in Moscow.

Workers leaving the Lumière factory for lunch in Lyon, France in 1895; a place of great photographic innovation and one of the birth places of cinema.

A train arrives at La Ciotat station.

A boy looks through glasses at various objects, seen magnified.

A hungry vagabond snatches a wrapped leg of lamb and jumps into a large wooden barrel to hide. Will he get away scot-free?

A group of astronomers go on an expedition to the Moon.

Using every known means of transportation, several savants from the Geographic Society undertake a journey through the Alps to the Sun which finishes under the sea.

A scientist pours water into a tub. Flames rise up, then the scientist takes out some dresses, which are draped upon statues. The statues change into a bevy of dancing girls who perform a dance routine.

An inebriated man falls in love with the moon and climbs a rooftop to reach it. A sudden gust of wind sweeps him all the way to the moon.

A fireman rushes into a carriage to rescue a woman from a house fire. He breaks the windowpanes and carries the woman to safety; after dangerous and uncertain moments he also saves the woman's son.

A group of bandits stage a brazen train hold-up, only to find a determined posse hot on their heels.

Episodes from the life of Elizabeth I, Queen of England (1533-1603), focusing on her ill-fated love affair with Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex.

The opening scene of this sacred picture shows the interior of the home of Mark, where Jesus and his apostles have gathered to eat the Paschal lamb. The sacred feast is spread and the little band take their places at the table with the Master in the center, who addresses his friends in words of love, Baying: "These things I command you, that you love one another!" Jesus then takes a towel and basin and sinks upon his knees to wash the feet of his apostles. Some of them object that the Master should humble himself so, but Jesus insists in order to teach them a lesson in humility. Coming to Judas, who is seated at the extreme end of the table with a sneering look on his face, Jesus bends and bathes his feet, but the latter lends himself with bad grace to the humble ceremony. The mercenary creature is ill at ease and drops his purse on the floor, whereupon Jesus picks it up and hands it back to him. Judas then opens the purse and shows his brethren how impoverished he is, for it is empty. Jesus again takes his place at the table, where, after breaking some bread, he passes it around, saying, "This is my body;" then taking a cup of wine he drinks and passes it also, saying. "This is my blood!" During the meal a bitter anxiety seems to hang over the little band, and Jesus is so deeply wrung with agony that he turns to those about him and says: "Verily, verily, 1 say unto you that one of you is about to betray me!" Immediately there is great consternation among the band and each apostle asks: "Lord is it I?" Even Judas joins with the others with inconceivable heartlessness and effrontery, asking also, "Lord is it I?" To which the Master makes answer: "Yes, it is you who shall betray me!" The other apostles on hearing this start in anger towards Judas, but Jesus, raising his hand, quells the disturbance, whereupon Judas arises from the table and defiantly leaves the room. At the approach of midnight. Jesus and his apostles leave the house and make their way to the Garden of Olives, where Jesus goes to pray. Judas, knowing that the Master would be there, manages to get to the garden first with the officers from the chief priests and Pharisees. After closing his bargain and receiving the money for his part in the treachery, Judas instructs the multitude to hide and come forth in due time and seize the man whom he shall kiss upon the cheek. Presently Jesus approaches with his apostles, and forthwith Judas greets him, saying: "Hail, Master!" and kisses him. The soldiers rush out from their hiding place and seize Jesus, and take him prisoner, while his apostles flee in terror. Judas is now seen standing with remorse and terror written on his countenance, and, as the soldiers retire with their innocent prisoner, the traitor falls in agony to the ground. Suddenly raising himself on his elbow he begins counting over the money he received for his part in the affair. Then, realizing all at once the enormity of his crime, the traitor becomes seized with indescribable remorse and writhes on the ground in agony, laughing, crying and praying to God for mercy. In his fancy he sees a vision of Jesus coming to him with compassion in his eyes and extending his hands in forgiveness. Unable to hear the terrible remorse any longer the traitor takes a rope hanging over a tree branch, slips the noose around his neck and thus ends his miserable existence.

After a body disappears from inside the prison, a series of crimes take place, all seemingly by the dead man. With Juve presumed dead, Fandor must investigate alone. Will Fantômas finally be brought to justice?

The creeping black assassin Fantômas, the criminal lord of Paris and master of disguise, has won the first round. But the equally resourceful Inspector Juve swears to win the second.

Inspector Juve is tasked to capture the infamous criminal genius Fantômas who, ruthless and particularly elusive, changes his appearance and holds Paris' high society in a crippling grasp.

The press as well as the general public opinion suggest that Inspector Juve may in fact be Fantômas, the very criminal mastermind he tries to capture. But as Juve is imprisoned, the actual Fantômas schemes to keep him behind bars forever.

Having committed murder in Belgium, Fantômas is sentenced to life imprisonment. Juve conceives the idea that if Fantômas is set free, he can follow him back to France and capture him and the remaining members of his gang once and for all.

At a tramcar in Copenhagen the piano teacher Magda Vang meets the young man Knud Svane, who falls in love with her. She is invited to spend the summer with him and his parents at the vicarage in Gjerslev. Outside the vicarage a circus troupe passes by, and Magda is saluted by the performer Rudolph Stern. In the night Rudolph climbs a ladder to Magda's bedroom. She tries to flee his advances, but after a hot kiss she surrenders, and runs away with him. Magda is hired as a dancer with Rudolph at the Empire Varieté. When Rudolph fondles a ballet dancer Magda gets furious, and starts a fight in front of the audience. Magda and Rudolph are fired. To earn some money Rudolph forces Magda to play the piano in a band at a garden restaurant. Knud turns up and recognizes her. Incognito he asks her for a private meeting. Magda thinks she is asked to sell her body and refuses, but Rudolph forces her to go. When Rudloph after a while interrupts and finds Magda with Knud, he gets furious and starts to beat her. During the turmoil she grabs a knife and stabs Rudolph in his chest. In her despair she clings to his dead body, and has to be taken away by force.

On the brink of war, Lt. van Hauen is summoned to take command of the cruiser, but due to unforeseen events, he is wrongfully convicted as a traitor.

An epic Italian film, "Quo Vadis" influenced many of the later movies.

Cabiria is a Roman child when her home is destroyed by a volcano. Sold in Carthage to be sacrificed in a temple, she is saved by Fulvio, a Roman spy. But danger lurks, and hatred between Rome and Carthage can only lead to war.