Next up we have the oldest film in the marathon and probably the shortest, although at 14 minutes, it was particularly groundbreaking for it's day where films generally lasted 2 or 3 minutes.
At a science convention, Professor Barbenfouillis convinces his colleagues to fund a trip to the moon. A giant cannon is cast and a team of scientists are fired up, crashing into the Man in the Moon's eye. Beneath the surface of the moon, they are confronted by the native Selenites who are rather hostile. The team are taken prisoner and brought to their king, but they manage to escape as the Selenites seem to be rather delicate and explode into dust from the touch of an umbrella. The Earthlings escape back to earth by pushing their capsule off a cliff, thence falling back down to Earth and landing in the ocean (as you do). They are then rescued and paraded through Paris as heroes. A captured Selenite is also paraded around, but as a curio. Poor Selenite.
George Melies' background in stage acting and magic is evident throughout. The impressive effects are achieved using innovative use of dissolve, superimposition and double exposure in the editing.
With the plot devices of space travel, conquering new frontiers and alien planets and species, combined with the magic of special effects and costume and inspired by the writings of H G Wells an Jules Verne, this is the origin of cinematic science fiction and is definitely to be lauded.
A poor captive Selenite. what will become of him/her?
No comments:
Post a Comment