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Georges
Méliès' A Trip to the Moon
(Le
Voyage dans la Lune)
Released in 1902, Georges Méliès' silent A
Trip to the Moon is a pioneering work that transcends
its whimsical aesthetic. Inspired by Jules Verne's visionary
novels, in particular, From the Earth to the Moon,
the film chronicles the fantastical journey of a group of
astronomers. Their vessel, a projectile launched from a giant
cannon, takes them on a groundbreaking lunar expedition. Méliès,
a theatrical magician and filmmaker, employed innovative special
effects techniques to bring his vision to life. The now-iconic
scene of the capsule lodging in the moon's eye exemplifies
his groundbreaking use of multiple exposures and stagecraft
illusions translated to film. Beyond its fantastical elements,
the film boasts a surprisingly complex narrative for its time.
The astronomers encounter a fantastical lunar landscape populated
by the Selenites, bizarre insect-like moon dwellers. The film
masterfully blends humour with moments of peril, as the explorers
narrowly escape capture by these curious inhabitants. Méliès'
masterpiece holds undeniable weight in cinematic history.
It stands as one of the first narrative films to break the
ten-minute barrier, a significant milestone in establishing
the feature film format. It is also generally considered to
be the first science fiction film ever produced, and Méliès'
use of special effects laid the groundwork for future filmmakers
in this genre. Another notable aspect of the film is its comical
characterisation of French colonial expansion. The film was
inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2002.
|
Film
Details |
Country
of Origin: France
Production Company: Star Film Company
Running time: 13:56 minutes |
|
Director: |
Georges
Méliès |
|
Producer: |
Georges
Méliès |
|
Screenplay: |
Georges
Méliès |
|
Photography: |
Michaut,
Lucien Tainguy
|
| Cast |
|
Professor
Barbenfouillis |
Georges
Méliès |
|
Captain
of the rocket |
Henri
Delannoy |
|
Phoebe,
the moon |
Bleuette
Bernon |
|
Officer
of the marines |
François
Lallement |
|
One
of the astronomers |
Victor
André |
|
One
of the astronomers |
Brunnet |
|
One
of the astronomers |
Depierre |
|
One
of the astronomers |
Farjaut |
|
One
of the astronomers |
Kelm |
|
Stars |
Théâtre
du Châtelet ballerinas |
|
Selenites |
Folies-Bergères
acrobats
|
# |
Scene
Title |
|
1 |
The
Scientific Congress at the Astronomic Club. |
|
2 |
Planning
the Trip. Appointing the Explorers and Servants. Farewell. |
|
3 |
The
Workshops: Constructing the Projectile. |
|
4 |
The
Founderies. The Chimney-stacks. The casting of the Monster
Gun. |
|
5 |
The
Astronomers enter the Shell. |
|
6 |
Loading
the Gun. |
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7 |
The
Monster Gun. March Past of the Gunners. Fire!!! Saluting the
Flag. |
|
8 |
The
Flight through Space. Approaching the Moon. |
|
9 |
Landed
Right into the Eye!!! |
|
10 |
Flight
of the Shell into the Moon. Appearance of the Earth from the
Moon. |
|
11 |
The
Plain of Craters. Volcanic Eruption. |
|
12 |
The
Dream (the Bolies, the Great Bear, Phœbus, the Twin Stars
Saturn). |
|
13 |
The
Snow Storm. |
|
14 |
40
Degrees below Zero. Descending a Lunar Crater. |
|
15 |
In
the Interior of the Moon. The Giant Mushroom Grotto. |
|
16 |
Encounter
with the Selenites. Homeric Flight. |
|
17
|
Prisoners!! |
|
18 |
The
Kingdom of the Moon. The Selenite Army. |
|
19 |
The
Flight. |
|
20 |
Wild
Pursuit. |
|
21 |
The
Astronomers find the Shell again. Departure from the Moon. |
|
22 |
Vertical
Drop into Space. |
|
23 |
Splashing
into the Open Sea. |
|
24
|
At
the Bottom of the Ocean. |
|
25 |
The
Rescue. Return to Port. |
| 26 |
Great
Fete. Triumphal March Past. |
| 27 |
Crowning
and Decorating the Heroes of the Trip. |
| 28 |
Procession
of Marines and the Fire Brigade. |
| 29 |
Inauguration
of the Commemorative Statue by the Mayor and Council. |
|
30 |
Public
Rejoicings. |
 |
Sources:
1. Le voyage dans la lune; Le voyage extraordinaire.
[DVD]. Directed by Georges Méliès, Serge Bromberg
and Eric Lange. France: Lobster Films, 2011.
2. M. Solomon [ed.]. Fantastic Voyages of the Cinematic
Imagination: Georges Méliès’s Trip to
the Moon. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press,
2011.
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