A Trip to the Moon

Starring: Georges Melies, Francois Lallement, Bleuette Bernon
Directed by: Georges Melies
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Short
Length: 13 minutes
1902

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: A group of astronomers travel to the moon.

Review:

Tim: In the history of cinema, there are many films that could accurately be described as "landmark" films. Cinema has been around for well over 100 years, and in that time, you will have very many movies that are heavily influential on ones that follow. When making a list of the movie important landmark movies of all time, A Trip to the Moon easily deserves a spot on that list. This movie changed the face of film forever and remains one of the all time classic films. That shot of the Man in the Moon with the rocket in his eyes is one of the most iconic, powerful images in the history of the medium. If you're a movie fan, you absolutely need to have seen this film.

I'm no movie historian, but I understand that in the early days of film, audiences were just shocked to seeing moving pictures. Most of the early films were actuality films, just shots of people doing real things. Audiences were wowed by the fact that things were moving up on the screen. Eventually, the shift towards more narrative fiction began. A Trip to the Moon isn't really the "first" as you often hear it described- it's not the first narrative film, it's not really the first science fiction film, it's not the first fantasy film. None of that detracts from its importance, because it combined all those elements in a way that really hadn't ever been done before, at least to this scale.

Georges Melies' just-under-13-minutes short film is remarkable when taken in its entirety. Melies really pushed to move film away from actuality films and towards embracing the theatrical. Every scene of this film is theatrical- from the lavish paintings as backdrops, the costumes, the movements, the special effects- it all combines together to tell a surprisingly powerful, epic story in a relatively small amount of time. This movie changed the way film was perceived and influenced nearly everything to come after it.

The story is surprisingly deep for such a short period of time. A group of astronomers debate traveling to the moon. A certain faction pushes back against the idea, refusing to believe it's possible. A small group of brave explorers decide to try. They board a giant cannon, resting inside a very large bullet-shaped rocket. They are fired towards the moon. There, they land, sleep, and wake, beginning their exploration. They descend into an underground cave, where an umbrella turns into a mushroom and they are attacked by a moon creature. They are taken to the moon creatures' king, where they fight and barely escape the moon, returning to Earth and a hero's welcome. The story doesn't feel rushed, as each scene is devoted enough time before moving to the next. The movie is really beautiful to look, the attention to detail is outstanding. I loved the different special effects, which still hold up today. Among my favorites are the umbrella that turns into a mushroom and glows, the way the moon creatures explode into a cloud of dust, and the background on earth with the steam or smoke. Even with all the special effects of today, I still marveled at what Melies was able to achieve in 1902.

I do have to mention the Man in the Moon and the rocket in his eye- it's amazing to me how indelible that image is. It perfectly summarizes this film- part science fiction, part fantasy, part comedy, part adventure. It's iconic and it serves as a wonderful reminder that even in the earliest days of cinema, brilliant minds were creating amazing sights and experiences for audiences.

I usually don't spend a lot of time writing about early films. There's not a lot to say about some of the earliest shorts. A Trip to the Moon is different. Georges Melies created one of cinema's true landmark films, a hugely influential classic that deserves to be seen. Even 113 years later, this movie still holds up. How many movies made today would that be said about in 2125?

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: N/A



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: As many of Melies' films as you can find