About five years into film's existence as a publicly available invention and art form, 1901 offers up a number of exciting threads for where the medium did and did not go. Some aspects may appear familiar: a form of a "close-up," attempts at adapting "narrative," and the use of the movies as a propaganda tool.

But as guests will point out, the intent and reception of such things may be alien to our modern eyes, from the idea of a moving picture "tableaux" to colonizing forces. Join host Tristan Ettleman for an exploration of 1901 with The 5 Best Films of Every Year Ever!

You can submit your own top five films for 1901 at the5bestfilmsofeveryyearever.com/list.

Films mentioned:

• Fire! (1901) - James Williamson
• The Big Swallow (1901) - James Williamson
• Scrooge, or, Marley's Ghost (1901) - Walter R. Booth
• The Story of a Crime (1901) - Ferdinand Zecca