To an average 21st century moviegoer,
George Melies’ A Trip to the Moon (1902)
may come across as either boring or silly, but overall primitive. However, noting
that the film was made only a bit over a decade after the first motion-picture
camera’s invention, I think that A Trip
to the Moon is a breakthrough for cinema. If I were in France for the film’s
first screening, it would’ve been my favorite because the special effects were
relatively top-notch, and it was a sci-fi milestone.
The first motion-picture camera was only invented in
the 1890’s so there was a lot of room
for innovation in 1902 cinema. There were few special effects, like double
exposure and reverse motion. There were rarely camera movements; panning was
probably the most advanced of which. Thus, if I were a 1902 audience member, I’d
be impressed and amused at the sight of elaborate sets with smoke coming out of
craters, the huge “shell” that could house all of the astronomers, and the
camera’s apparent movement towards the moon. I’d question and marvel at how it’s
possible to put a face on the moon and pierce it with a rocket-like shell, how stars
with faces transformed into gods, and how an umbrella turned into a growing
mushroom! And moon people turning into dust after being hit with an umbrella
would be downright hilarious.
Also, the plot would be super futuristic to me. It was
just the birth of cinema; most films must have focused on realistic scenarios
because producing sci-fi needs a lot of time, money and skill. A Trip to the
Moon is thus a sci-fi pioneer. I would’ve been so awestruck by the idea of a group
of men’s journey to the moon. It would enable me to visualize life on the moon,
and give me hope that going to the moon is possible.
If I were from the 1900’s, I’d feel so lucky to witness
all of those incredible effects. 21st century cinema has gone far
with stunning interpretations of superheroes, aliens, and time travel, but A
Trip to the Moon is a true sci-fi classic.
Darla Bautista 2013-14467
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