A Trip to the Moon

A Trip to the Moon (French: Le Voyage dans la Lune) is a 1902 French space exploration surrealist silent film directed by George Melies. The film is inspired by a variety of sources, notably Jules Verne's novels From the Earth to the Moon and Around the Moon. I've already checked out these novels in pdf form through Google and I gotta say that it is quite impressive science fiction writing for the time, 1865 and 1870. Fitting for the time of the Industrial Revolution.

The film follows astronomers who decide to build a rocket and get launched into space to reach the moon via a cannon. They explore the moon's surface and find Selenites, (lunar inhabitants) these sort of insect creatures that explode when they get hit by the astronomers. They end up capturing a Selenite and bring it back to Earth. The film features a bunch of French theatrical performers, "led by Méliès himself in the main role of Professor Barbenfouillis, and is filmed in the overtly theatrical style for which Méliès became famous." (Wiki)

The film was very successful and ended up getting pirated a lot in the United States. This movie ended up having a profound influence in cinema because of its use of narrative, through this more movies ended up developing stories more effectively. Although the movie became out of place when Melies went into retirement, later in 1930 the film resurfaced when film devotees noted its importance on the history of cinema.

"A Trip to the Moon was named one of the 100 greatest films of the 20th century by The Village Voice, ranked 84th. The film remains the best-known of the hundreds of films made by Méliès, and the moment in which the capsule lands in the Moon's eye remains one of the most iconic and frequently referenced images in the history of cinema. It is widely regarded as the earliest example of the science fiction film genre and, more generally, as one of the most influential films in cinema history." (Wiki) Now for more on the movie.

The film starts with a meeting of the Astronomic Club, where the leader Professor Barbenfouillis proposes a mission to the moon. After a bit of dissent five other brave astronomers; Nostradamus, Alcofrisbas, Omega, Micromegas, and Parafaragaramus—agree to the plan. They build a rocket in the shape of a bullet and get shot into space via a cannon. They get a little help with the rocket from the 'marines', women dressed in sailor's outfits. As they fly off to the moon the Man in the Moon watches the spaceship, and it hits him in the eye.

One they get on the surface of the moon the astronomers walk around (without the need of a spacesuit) and after a while they get tired and sleep. As they sleep a comet passes, and the Big Dipper appears with human faces in each star, "old Saturn leans out of a window in his ringed planet, and Phoebe, goddess of the Moon, appears seated in a crescent-moon swing. Phoebe causes a snowfall that awakens the astronomers, and they seek shelter in a cavern where they discover giant mushrooms. One astronomer opens his umbrella; it promptly takes root and turns into a giant mushroom itself."

Then, a Selenite (an insectoid alien inhabitant of the Moon, named after one of the Greek moon goddesses, Selene) appears but is easily killed by an astronomer, as the Selenites explode after being hit by blunt force. More Selenites appear and the astronomers get zerg rushed (reference to Blizzard pc game starcraft, insect-like aliens that come to kill you in great numbers), captured, and brought to the Selenite king. An astronomer hits the king on the head and the king explodes. The astronomers get chased as they run back to their spaceship.

As they approach the ship Barbenfouillis himself tips the spaceship off the moon and into space, while a Selenite is attached to it. The ship, astronomers, and Selenite end up in the ocean on Earth. At the ending scene we see a celebratory parade for the astronomers, the captured Selenite in a cage, and a statue bearing the motto "labor omnia vincit" (work conquers all).

The movie is quite thrilling, fun, adventurous, surreal, and perhaps even psychedelic. Running at only thirteen minutes its a great film to show to a film class, friends, and science fiction aficionados. Its the history of cinema at work. And although it isn't quite developed you could say that its still quite good for its time, 1902. This is the oldest movie I've ever seen and its great. I highly recommend watching it. If anything you should watch it so you can see where cinema and science fiction cinema comes from. Education for sure.

You can watch the film here.