Abstract:

 European and American films of early period demonstrated distinctive “attractions”during the late 19th and early 20th century, and the magic trick films in particular, created effects of body sensationalism by illusions and tricks. The special visual effects such as stop trick and superimposition made “sudden morphs” on big screen; in the meantime various themes like exoticism, ghost, scifi and magic brought gothic sensational experience to early audiences. These changing tricks and illusions created by films became an important means of training the body senses, thus providing an effective channel and chance for the audiences of the early cinematic period to adapt to the fast changing urban modernity.
Key words： early cinema; magic trick films; body; sensationalism; illusions