Porter's filmic style for "The Great Train Robbery" was not on the cutting edge for 1903; it is comparable to numerous other films released around the same time, such as "The Escaped Lunatic", a popular Biograph Studios comedy about wardens chasing an escapee from a mental institution, and "Runaway Match", a British Gaumont film featuring an extended car chase sequence. "Mary Jane's Mishap", a landmark dark comedy made by Brighton School pioneers G. A. Smith and Laura Bayley and released months before "The Great Train Robbery", is far more sophisticated in its editing and framing. Porter's style heavily prioritized action over character, with most figures remaining indistinguishable in wide shots; the staging inconsistently mixes stylized theatrical blocking with more naturalistic action. The film also leaves many narrative points ambiguous, requiring explanations to be filled in by a live narrator or by audience imaginations.