June 15th: Early French Cinema

The exhibition of early cinema at Le Cinematheque Francaise pays homage to many of the great directors of early cinema by featuring their movies and the materials used to create these movies. On such director is George Méliès, who directed 531 films in his career. Méliès was experienced in theatre before he started directing films, and the influence of his theatre background can be seen in his films. He uses many stage tricks of theatre to create the first special effects in film. Many of his films are playful and fantastical in nature, one example being his most famous film, Trip to the Moon (1902). 

The films of George Méliès have influenced many modern directors, as evidenced by Martin Scorsese’s 2011 film Hugo. This film tells the story of a young boy living in a train station in France who uncovers the magical films of George Méliès. In discussing this film, Scorsese has much praise for the work of Méliès. "He invented everything, basically, he invented it all," Scorsese said. "And when you see these colored images moving, the way he composed these frames and what he did with the action, it's like looking at illuminated manuscripts moving." The success of Hugo in the twenty-first century shows the enduring impact of the magical films of George Méliès.

Along with Méliès, The Lumière Brothers were the other filmmakers notable for their work in early cinema. Credited with building the first camera, the Lumière Brothers filmed many “actualities”, which were short films that documented real life. One actuality filmed a train arriving at a station, and this film was shown in theaters to astonished audiences. Legend says that the audience were quite frightened when they watched this film, because they believed the train was headed toward them. The presentation of films has remained relatively constant since the Lumière Brothers began showing their actualities, until a few years ago when the presentation of three-dimensional movie experiences became popularized. These three-dimensional movies are drawing on that early experience of filmgoers. Much like early cinema captivated audiences with it’s presentation of reality, modern cinema is captivating audiences with how it can make movies feel even more visceral.