The X-Rays

Under a minute in length but full of character, this pioneering silent film is a perfect example of the short film genre, exploring an idea of exactly the right size with sophistication and wit. The plot, such as it is, involves a courting couple sitting on a bench.

The man seems more ardent than the women but she not entirely uninterested. The viewer is placed in the position of voyeur, though perhaps they are being a little less circumspect that the rules of polite society in the period would demand. Along comes a third party with a box marked 'x-rays', and when he activates it we get to see what's really going on beneath the surface.

With so few films from the period preserved in good condition, this is a gem. Crisp photography and fluid animation have helped it to retain a liveliness that still makes it seem fresh today.

The parallels between what we see under the skin, what's really going on socially and what we seem to be observing without permission may not be subtle, but they're still entertaining. well-paced and tightly scripted, this is evidence, were it needed, that there was every bit as much talent in film over a century ago as there is today.