A Trip to the Moon (1902)
Back when creativity went to the moon.
Presentation:
At 15 minutes long, this may not exactly be considered a feature film by some, but is worth putting in the Hall of Spice for its significance. There were quite a few early films I could have chosen to represent the beginning of cinema but I chose A Trip to the Moon due to its cultural impact. It is perhaps best known through Scorsese especially in Hugo but is also increasingly disseminated through other mainstream channels. The silent film is short, quirky, and playfully executed with extravagant costumes and set pieces. Although there is a technical restoration in color that I am presenting here, I would recommend to watch this in black and white.
Conclusion:
It’s a little harsh to give this film a 2 considering it may be one of the best films before 1920, but I simply don’t think it would be worth the money and effort. Being so short, it’s charming and a pleasant sit through, but films like Metropolis are objectively better. As a result, this film is revered more for its intellectual and historical value, a prize for the cinephile but a museum piece for everyone else. If nothing else, it’s wildly imaginative and has likely gone on to define French cinema and their artistic quirkiness.
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