Le Voyage dans la Lune/A Trip to the Moon (1902)

Country: France

Released: September 1st, 1902

Genre: Sci Fi, Fantasy, Adventure

Directed by: Georges Méliès

Produced by: Georges Méliès

Written by: Georges Méliès

My favourite description for the plot of Le Voyage dans la Lune comes from the comments on icheckmovies.com where user the3rdman dryly sums up the the story as, "Imperialists go to the moon and murder the native population of Selenites, deposing their monarch."

Now while this description is not entirely fair, limitations of an early medium and all, it is difficult to deny that Le Voyage feels like a time capsule from a bygone era, displaying an atmosphere of optimism, scientific 'progress,' and yes, imperialism, that characterized the height of the Belle Epoch.

In terms of plot there really isn't much else to say. A group of French scientists dressed as Merlin-esque mystiques chart a journey to the moon. They hastily board a giant artillery shell and are promptly fired into space, where they encounter a hostile group of spear wielding aliens, are taken prisoner, and narrowly escape back to Earth with one of the aliens in tow. Watching these scientists return to great fanfare, tugging this captive creature by a leash draws uncomfortable parallels to some of the least fondly remembered ideas of the era (-cough- social Darwinism -cough-), but it would be unfair to single out Le Voyage as an especially erroneous example of cultural bigotry. Besides, I have a feeling I'm gonna be looking back fondly at Le Voyage's imperialist undertones once Birth of a Nation rolls by in a couple days.

And now I'm going to stop using the word "imperialism" before this starts to sound like a college paper.

In truth the plot is inconsequential; it's a fairytale, and the story serves as nothing more than a blank canvas on which Méliès can project his whimsical world.

And really, whimsy is the best description for the film. I was taken aback by how fun it was to watch. The painted backgrounds and gaudy costumes made the scenes come alive, and there were some genuine instances of creativity when designing the sets. One moment that stands out is when the scientists stare out into an industrial zone and real smoke poured out of painted chimneys. Little touches, such as casting gymnasts as the aliens and having them do somersaults to move cleverly helps transcend the technological limitations of the era to give the different environments their own distinct feel. Méliès should also be commended for his editing, as the aliens bursting into puffs of smoke during fights felt seamless. 

So, ultimately, would I recommend Le Voyage? As an intellectual exercise, absolutely. There is so much history in this one film, and it is fascinating to see the techniques on display. It's easy to forget just how ambitious the idea of filming a journey to the moon with the effects technology available at the time was. In an era when it would have challenging to just film a simple scene with two characters in a room, Méliès should be celebrated for his vision. But can I recommend Le Voyage as pure entertainment? Well no. As much as wannabe intellectuals like to fetishize the past in some weird, ego stroking, elitist fantasy the truth of the matter is that I guarantee that Fury Road is a helluva lot funner than a centuries old piece of film. That being said if you're at all a fan of movies give Le Voyage a look, and watch one of the grandfathers of cinema reach for the stars and set the foundation of cinema for decades to come.