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Absolutely brilliant

I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

"The Gold Spider" is one of Segundo de Chomón's longer, more complex narrative films from his rather large filmography. It appears to have a story to tell, as well as some interesting effects which work pretty well. The thing is tinted mostly, except for a black-and-white sequence.The story begins with some gnomes walking through the countryside, in search of the gold spider of the title. A woodcutter decides to follow them. When they find the spider, they go to their cavern. After they leave he enters and searches for it. After a couple animated sequences where the woodcutter watches a couple other fantastic bugs, (these gnomes apparently are collectors of rare bugs) he finds it, takes it home, and has it spin gold coins. SPOILERS RIGHT HERE: the coins turn to worms and the gnomes appear in a vision and laugh at him!The only real problem with this film is that, like I said in the title, it is damaged at times. Badly. You can still see what goes on in the picture, but not comfortably. I've seen worse, though, so the deterioration here is at least bearable. And, other than this minor issue, it's still a pretty good fantasy short that's certainly worthwhile.

Some guy decides to follow some very LARGE gnomes through the countryside. I say large because they look to be about average height for most humans, though they sport long beards and weak weird hooded robes. While the man is spying on them, he sees them pick up a large spider and take it off to their hidden home in the rocks. These gnomes appear to be non-observant gnomes, as he isn't all that sneaky but they fail to notice him nearby...or do they? Soon the man's greed takes hold. Why? Because he saw that the spider was able to make gold coins! There are a lot of equally talented bugs that to needle point and even spell out the name of studio or paint. But he wants the spider and steals it once these freaky guys leave. What's next in this bizarre morality tale? See the film.Director Segundo de Chomón is in pretty good form here. The special effects are pretty good for the time, though I questioned his using several magical bugs--as they did seem to detract from the story. It was if Chomón was showing off what he could do with stop-motion much of the time instead of trying to convey the story. Still, it is very entertaining and is a bit better than his average film.

Herr Segundo de Chomón was undoubtedly one of the most important figures during the early silent film period though not very well known; happily, in recent years, he has received some of the recognition that he deserves. He was a master and pioneer in the advancement of special effects and colouring, a genuine silent magician who developed and created incredible techniques that sometimes brought extraordinary creatures to life and startled audiences as well as enchanting them with his craftsmanship and use of colour."L'Araignée d'or" ( The Golden Spider ) (1909) is an excellent example of Herr Chomón's artistry and genius, a short film that tells a fantastic and delightful story wherein a lumberjack, who shares his strange adventure with the audience by looking directly into the camera, follows four gnomes during their peculiar stroll through the forest. In a pond of water, the gnomes pick up a golden spider who has special and profit making abilities. They take him to their cave where this talented insect weaves gold ingots that can be cut up into pieces, gold coins that are even minted!.Herr Chomón's mastery of camera tricks meshes smoothly with his colouring techniques; in "L'Araignée d'or" the use of stencil coloured images gives fantastic colours in accordance with the fairy tale spirit that permeates the picture, colouring techniques that Herr Chomón, together with his wife, Frau Julienne Matthieu refined through the years and finally patented as "Pathécolour"( "Pathé", of course was the French silent company managed by the Pathé brothers for whom Herr Chomón worked during his French period).So, don't miss a minute of this beautiful fable where strange creatures and skillful insects from ancient times come to life before your commoner eyes thanks to the magic of Herr Chomón.And now, if you'll allow me, I must temporarily take my leave because this German Count must order his servants to clear out the many unproductive cobwebs in the Schloss.Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien http://ferdinandvongalitzien.blogspot.com