Century Film Project

For tonight’s Lumière Cinématograph picture, we see a display of athletics and humor. Four men hold a blanket while another repeatedly attempts to do a flip over it, failing more often than not. A sixth man, in a (police?) uniform stands by and either helps the man make his flip or chastises him when he misses. Whenever he lands on the blanket, he is immediately tossed off by the men holding it. It seems that his objective is to clear the blanket after his flip, giving this the impression of a kind of training session for slapstick artists. The picture is shot out-of-doors, perhaps in a backyard or garden. The mood seems light, and the men all laugh and enjoy themselves. This is one of the more mysterious of the Lumière movies, without narration, but remains a good demonstration of their ability to reproduce movement.

Alternate Titles: Jumping onto the Blanket, Le Saut à la couverture, Brimade dans une caserne

Director/Camera: Louis Lumière

Run Time: 40 seconds

You can watch it for free: here.