Georges Méliès is credited with helping to develop and direct more than five hundred and thirty films between 1896 and 1912. It seems nearly impossible, especially considering the amount of time and effort that goes into creating a film, to produce enjoyable films at such an expeditious rate. Yet, Méliès was able to, in just twenty-ish years, create viable entertainment for the world to appreciate. Filmmaking is still quite young (less than two hundred years old) taking into consideration the age of the earth and the amount of time that human beings have spent on it. In 1896 audiences would have had little to no expectations of film and would have most likely been fairly open minded to most of what filmmakers were capable of producing. However, in 1902, Georges Méliès took it upon himself to create a film that would dominate and would still remain relevant today. A Trip to the Moon is that film. In the early years of the twentieth century a group of astronomers have the somewhat insane idea to create a vessel capable of traveling to the moon. As these six astronomers, and a significant number of others, work toward creating this vehicle and travel to the moon, they face much diversity and backlash. Successfully, they make it to the moon’s surface and discover the unexpected. Their lives will be changed forever and their viewpoints on the earth and all of its surroundings become more vivid and alive than ever.
Let us quickly take a step back and evaluate the basis of A Trip to the Moon. Space travel is insanely difficult, so much so that within the past month, NASA had to cancel a trip into space due to inclement weather. In 1902 space travel would have been laughable as serious talks about sending a living being into space did not begin until the 1950’s. The idea that a person is capable of getting in a metal can and traveling to a place not on this earth is bizarre even now. Imagine the ridicule that Méliès would receive more than one hundred years ago regarding the fact that he even considered this topic realistic even in the slightest. He manages, however, to create a film that is capable of appealing to audiences in a time when such ideas might have been scrutinized.
Even with all of the scientific inaccuracies, Méliès’ A Trip to the Moon manages to remain relevant today (the inaccuracies can certainly be overlooked because, as we have already discussed, space travel was not something that many believed to be truly possible--especially not in 1902). Just recently (in the past few months) a short film, The One-Minute Memoir, revisits visuals from Méliès’ early masterpiece. The fact that more than a century later, a film has managed to remain relevant (even more than one might expect) is impressive. Even moreso, it seems that Méliès is ahead of his time with themes of human destruction and battles with the unknown. Ironically enough, one of the characters in the renowned film is Nostradamus himself (maybe some witchcraft was involved and he helped Méliès predict the future relationship between space and science). Regardless of how he came up with the material, Méliès is impressive not just in his own time, but today as well.
Not only were his ideas about space travel unprecedented at the time, so were his filmmaking skills. Actual color film did not come into play until a decade after the release of A Trip to the Moon, meaning that, without a doubt, this particular film would contain no color. Wrong! Méliès’ attention to detail and apparent need to make sure that each and every aspect of his film was completed with the sincerest attention means that color was a necessary evil when developing this film. The scenes, from beginning to end, are hand colored and (while not perfect) bring much of what is taking place to life. Color very much livens up the story and the narrative as audiences are engrossed in such a compelling form of art. A combination of broadway-esque sets and hand-drawn background images (coupled with the tireless efforts of including color in the film) creates depth unlike anything done up to this point (and some writer/directors who constructed films in the early twentieth century, after Méliès, should have taken into consideration everything that he put into his films and learned how to improve).
I mentioned before the battle with the unknown. There was then and still is now a fear of the unknown. Whether it is walking into a dark room, travelling to a new country or starting a new job, not knowing what happens next is a fear that all humans share--it’s human nature. Looking back at A Trip to the Moon with the gift of hindsight makes audiences now believe that many of the images depicted once the “astronauts” land on the moon are silly. The inability to know what actually lay on the moon at the time of the film’s release cannot be taken lightly. Audiences would have, for certain, found many of the images disturbing and frightening. He appeals to his audiences in terms of his idealistic views of what is humanly possible and in terms of his ability to captivate them through means of fear.
Méliès’ A Trip to the Moon does not technically survive the test of time visually, but, all things considered, anyone who struggles to appreciate what Méliès does here should rethink their ideas of film. Artistically, A Trip to the Moon is ahead of its time and manages to use young versions of some techniques that are still relevant today. Méliès sets the bar incredibly high and filmmakers should, and maybe need to, revisit some of his works to ensure that they are making the best possible film. Considering quarantine and social distancing I would venture to guess that nearly everyone has fourteen minutes to watch this film and appreciate what Méliès is able to accomplish more than one hundred years ago.
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