ChikPapa Very disappointed :(

BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

Ameriatch One of the best films i have seen

Lollivan It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

He_who_lurks This short feature is included in Kino's "The Movies Begin" set in the second volume. It is the only Birt Acres feature included in that volume, and I'm presuming all the others don't include any other films by the director. Besides the sea being rough in the film, the print condition is also. I can't guess why this was included in Kino's set because there isn't really much point to it. There are plenty other films showing stuff like this with rough seas. However, this was made in 1896 and back then it would have been well appreciated I'm sure. This short is 30 seconds or a bit more than that and it's interesting...while it lasts.

Horst in Translation (filmreviews@web.de) Usually, I'm too fond of nature documentaries, especially if they include animals, but this one just doesn't do anything for me. Of course the wild water is kinda intimidating, but even no more than 23 seconds, it's just not engaging enough to keep me interested from start to finish. I wish there would have been maybe at least one brave swimmer in there offering a welcome distraction. But nope. We also see the shore and I'm not entirely certain if there's people on it enjoying the view and the sound of the waves (which would have been a nice addition, too bad it wasn't invented yet). It's just too far away to say with certainty. Birt Acres has done better during his very prolific career from 1894 to 1900.

MartinHafer Okay, since the film was made all the way back in 1895 (when films were in their infancy), I'll cut the film some slack. After all, ALL the movies were dull and short pieces about the most mundane activities. And so, compared to contemporary pieces, it's not too bad. The subject matter--waves crashing--isn't too interesting, but the film has an artistic composition that make it rather like an Ansel Adams print come to life. Not great, certainly, but for 1895 not bad.If you LOVE this film, then be sure to watch THE ROUGH SEA (1900). It must be once of the cinema's first sequels! Yay!!! MORE Surf footage!!!!

Snow Leopard The footage in "Rough Sea At Dover" is rather unrefined, at least in its present condition, but it features some memorable views. The main footage is now rather blurry and unclear, and it's hard to tell just how realistic it may have looked originally. Again as it now stands, the movie consists of two different scenes that may have been edited together after the fact - once again, it's probably impossible to tell with certainty. But in any event, this short movie is one of the more effective examples of the type of early 'actuality' that features water in motion.The scene at Dover catches the wall of a pier as heavy waves crash against it, and the slightly diagonal camera angle adds to the power of the sea as it comes towards the viewer. If the picture were less blurry, it might be an excellent shot. The second scene must come from an entirely different, inland location, but it too shows a good view of water in motion, from a different perspective.The early cinema team of Birt Acres and R.W. Paul did not stick together very long, but this feature shows what they were capable of doing.