I saw the movie Hugo with my wife and youngest son yesterday, and it was a real treat!
Apart from the fact that I thought it was an enjoyable film with an intriguing plot, convincing acting, and great direction & cinematography...I loved how the beginning of silent film came alive in the movie.
You may know that the movie Hugo (in theatres in both standard presentation and 3D) is based on the award winning children's book 'The Invention of Hugo Cabret' by Brian Selznick. My wife teaches Children's Literature at a local university and this is one of the books she features.
First, let me share that I so enjoyed the movie - though I found myself just for a moment in the middle of the movie, for a moment, feeling like it was a little slow, at the conclusion of the movie I was and am so enamored with the piece of work that Martin Scorcese has directed! Not only is it an enjoyable movie but the camera work and editing are superb. The thing I believe I am most impressed is how the movie captured and brought back to life the era of the birth of film (cinema), what that was like, how it was created.
I explored much of this in Film History classes in College - but this movie really brought it to life for me. And perhaps more importantly, brings it to life and to perspective for today's younger generation - who can see most any movie or television program over an internet connection, and on their portable phone.
Without giving away the plot the story revolves around a little boy named Hugo - but there is an intertwined story with Georges Méliès. Georges is a pioneer in early film.
Perhaps his best known film is titled Le Voyage dans la Lune (The Voyage to the Moon) which is considered to be the first science fiction film and the first film to use animation.
I heard that this piece of film history would have a small role in the movie Hugo, along with a scene from Harold Lloyd's "Safety Last". I found parts of both of these early films on-line (on YouTube) and we watched them together prior to seeing Hugo. I highly recommend this for you and your family as well - as I believe it heightens appreciation for the films and their use in the movie Hugo.I have embedded both of these clips below for your convenience and enjoyment.
Georges Méliès - Le Voyage dans la Lune
Harold Lloyd's "Safety Last"- 1923
If you're anxious to get right to the portion of the scene where the Harold Llyod is hanging from the clock - you'll find that at 3:45.
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