This is an incredible, surreal trip to the moon, one of the first science fiction films by visionary filmmaker Georges Melies. The director was played by Ben Kingsley in the film Hugo (2011), but his true brilliance is seen in this restored silent film. It combines the Jules Verne’s novel From the Earth to the Moon (1865) and H.G. Wells’ The First Men in the Moon (1901). The cinematography is of course hand colored which adds to the fairy tale quality of the film, there are tints and costumes are colored blue, green, red, and orange. The effects are cutting edge for the time and charming for this time. There is an incredible quality to the sets and building a narrative for the film released in 1902. The music which is not restored, but sadly original is by Air, a French duo, that is too modern for my taste. There was a later Ray Harryhausen film, First Men in the Moon (1964) based on the H.G. Wells' novel, it had superior effects, but not the fun and vision of the Melies' movie. It lasts 15 minutes so can load up your Netflix and check it out.
The film begins at the Astronomic Club, also strange that there is no title cards which I’m familiar with in silent films. It looks like a university, after some time, I could see that the props are all paintings, and there are people there who look like wizards with the cone hats. Some cute French girls present five of the members telescopes. Enter Professor Barbenfouillis played by Melies. He shows the assembly his plans for sending a space capsule to the moon. The others applaud him, then arguments break out, but the good professor is joined by colleagues; Nostradamus, Alcofrisbas, Omega, Micromegas, and Paragaragramus, on his mission. The girls return to replace their wizard robes with coats. The explorers raise their umbrellas and shuffle away.
At a factory, workers toil at an anvil and also the large, bullet-shaped capsule. The explorers wander in through the hatch and then walk away. They reach the rooftop of the factory, a stunning vista which is all painted, but with smoking factory stacks. One explorer takes out a painted telescope and they all cheer when a pink explosion goes off, I’m assuming the first test of the cannon that will propel them to the moon. Cute girls in blue Marine outfits are by the hatch of the cannon resting on the rooftops. Professor Barbenfouillis climbs up the ladder joined by the other explorers. The space capsule is loaded up and the explorers say their farewells to the crowd. What I don’t get is why the young, capable Marines are not sent to the moon instead of the bumbling explorers. The hatch is closed and an army of Marines load up the capsule. A group assembles for the launch and a man lights the cannon which fires the capsule to the moon.
Here we get the clouds that ring around the moon which resolves into a face. We get closer to the Man in the Moon and suddenly his eye is gouged by the space capsule! Surreal, but horrifying. Then, we get the lunar landscape which has rocky spires. The capsule lands and the explorers exit and cheer the successful landing. They must have incredible stamina to survive without oxygen. The capsule vanishes and the spires are lowered to get a look at an Earth rise which the explorers cheer. There’s a pink explosion that knocks them down and then flames. The scientists tired from the trip, break out blankets, and go to sleep. A spinning comet passes overhead. Stars appear with faces. Then, this resolves to Saturn, two women, and Phoebe, the moon goddess (played by actress Bleuette Bernon), who brings down snow on the explorers. They decide to head down the moon tunnels.
This brings them to the underground moon world with giant mushrooms next to a waterfall, the landscape looks like something out of a fairy tale book. Barbenfouillis places his umbrella down which transforms into a mushroom and starts growing. Then, they see the strange, insectoid Selenite that hops towards them in a way that is part Gollum and part Cirque du Soleil, they are played by acrobats from the Folies Bergere. Barbenfouillis brings down his umbrella which vaporizes the Selenite in a puff of smoke. First contact, first death. He takes down another Selenite before a horde of Selenites rush them away. At the Selenite royal court, there are groups of guards and some ladies in star outfits. The prisoners are brought in and Barbenfouillis has enough and slams the king down vaporizing him. The ladies are impressed, but the guards chase after them.
They race across the moonscape with Barbenfouillis slaughtering a few more Selenites. The space capsule is at the edge of a cliff with the other explorers on board. Barbenfouillis vaporizes another Selenite, closes the hatch, and then climbs down a rope to tug the space capsule down. A Selenite latches onto the capsule as it plunges down to Earth. The capsule makes splash down, it enters a painted seascape with giant jellyfish and a sunken ship with silhouettes of tadpoles as the capsule floats to the surface. The capsule is towed to dock by a steamship, all animated. A parade is given for the explorers with a band, Marines towing in the capsule, and the mayor gives each explorer a crown and a giant medal. The captive Selenite is brought in and everyone cheers. A statue is made for the moon explorers and the Marine girls dance in a circle. A successful voyage with the slaughtering of an extraterrestrial species, horray! This film is visionary and fun.
Five Space Capsules out of Five!
#ATriptotheMoon, #GeorgesMelies, #ProfessorBarbenfouillis, Selenite
#ATriptotheMoon, #GeorgesMelies, #ProfessorBarbenfouillis, Selenite
No comments:
Post a Comment