It’s less than a minute long, but somehow, it feels like the first great action movie ever made.
And keep an eye out for the bicyclist—he never saw that ambush coming!
Watch “Bataille De Neige”
You can watch it for free on YouTube by clicking the video embed above.
Ratings:
- My Rating: 90/100
- IMDB Rating: 6.7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: na
Release Date: 1897
My Review of “Bataille De Neige”
The Setup
This 1897 silent short film, also called “Snowball Fight,” was directed by Louis Lumière, one of the brothers who basically invented movies (the Lumière brothers are known for “Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory” (1895), “Feeding the Baby” (1895) and “Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat” (1896).
This doc is only a minute long but packs in a lot of action.
The film captures a group of people having an all-out snowball fight on a street in Lyon, France. It’s one of the earliest examples of a staged scene in cinema—though the snowballs and reactions seem totally real.
You Can’t Make This Sh*t Up
- This might be the oldest “snowball fight caught on camera.”
More Highlights from the Doc
- The film was shot using the Cinématographe, an early camera invented by the Lumière brothers that could record, develop, and project films.
- One guy on a bicycle makes the worst possible decision—riding straight into the battle. He gets absolutely pummeled.
- The snowball fight isn’t just playful—it turns into a full snow war, with people aggressively launching snow at each other.
- The film takes place on Rue Saint-Victor in Lyon, which still exists today.
- The Lumière brothers often filmed everyday life, but this one feels more like an action scene than a simple street shot.
- The camera is static (it doesn’t move), but that makes it feel like a perfect little snapshot in time.
- The snowballs are flying fast, and some people are definitely getting hit hard!
Lesser-Known Details from the Doc
- The Lumière brothers had already filmed things like workers leaving a factory and a train arriving at a station, but this film stands out because it has action and chaos.
- Some film historians believe parts of it may have been staged to make it more dramatic.
- The guy on the bike? He might have been set up to get hit for extra laughs.
Wrap Up
At just one minute long, “Bataille de neige” is like an early viral video—fast, funny, and full of energy. It proves that people in 1897 had just as much fun in the snow as we do today. If you love old short films, this is a great watch!
Thanks for reading!
Rob Kelly, Chief Maniac, Daily Doc