HUGO

            Hugo (Martin Scorsese, 2011) is a film based on the illustrated novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. It tells the fictional tale of an orphaned boy named Hugo Cabret who secretly resides within the walls of Gare Montparnasse train station in the 1930s. He unceremoniously takes over his uncle’s job of clock-keeping at the station. Concurrently, he steals mechanical parts from the station’s toy shop to continue his late father’s legacy of fixing an automaton which was found abandoned at his workplace. One day, he is caught red-handed by the shop owner that will later be revealed as an antiquated filmmaker in which his dad was an avid supporter of.

This antiquated filmmaker, is none other than the renowned cinema pioneer Georges Méliès. He is referred to as the “Father of special effects” for creating the first on-screen double exposure, the split screen and the dissolve (King, 2011). He utilizes classic stage illusion which he learnt as a magician in many of his early films; vanishing acts are made possible by stopping the camera and then introducing new props and actors before starting it up again (Kehr, 2008). These special effects were considered spectacular to the viewers of the time.

The literary aspect of the film which comprises of the plot, characters and setting is the attractive element of the historical drama movie. Despite the fact that Hugo and this whole story centred around him is fabricated, it is very easy to sympathize with his predicament and it would be intriguing to find out how meeting Georges Méliès would change his life for better or for worse. Apart from that, the events of the story take place in 1931 Paris (Selznick, 2011, p. 35). This way the audience will be able to familiarize themselves with the Parisian culture of the early 1930s in which Méliès was a part of.

Apart from that, the dramatic aspect of the film such as the acting, sets, costumes and make up visually enhances the viewing experience. Apart from putting together a convincing 1931 Parisian society, the viewers also get to see flashback scenes regarding the birth, height and eventual decline of Méliès’ past filmmaking career. It began with the Lumière  Brothers’ refusal to sell him their Cinematographe (Walters, 2002), buying a primitive projector off someone and building his own camera (Kehr, 2008), constructing his own glass-enclosed film studio, producing movies with self-made sets, props, costumes and equipping them with his inventor-know-how and magician skills (Woerner, 2011), and the movies ultimately going out of fashion during the First World War and having to sell them to be turned into boot heels for soldiers to contribute to the war effort (Woerner, 2011).

Needless to say, the scenario of a mainstream film is much neater and simplified than that of the actual historical events due to duration constraint. However, Hugo’s alterations of the facts are reasonable and will allow the viewers to exit the cinema with a decent impression of Méliès’ career (Thompson, 2011).

So if you are anything like me and can hardly stay awake during history lessons, this is the perfect movie to watch if you wish to gain some insight into this celebrated historical figure of the cinematic world. Hugo may be known as a 3D film but it does not exhaust the use of computer-generated graphics (CGI) or neglect cinematography aesthetics as there are just as many actual camera movements to go with the special effects. Moreover, Scorsese has done a superb job in striking that balance despite that this film is only his first venture into 3D. Georges Méliès could not ask for a better tribute. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Kehr, D. (2008, March 18). GEORGES MéLIèS: FIRST WIZARD OF CINEMA. The New York Times.

King, S. (2011, November 28). 'Hugo' revives interest in Georges Melies. Los Angeles Times.

Selznick, B. (2011). The Director and His Vision. THE HUGO MOVIE COMPANION: A Behind the Scenes Look at How a Beloved Book Became a Major Motion Picture (). New York : Scholastic Press .

Thompson, K. (2011, December 7). HUGO: Scorsese’s birthday present to Georges Méliès. . Retrieved July 18, 2014, from http://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/2011/12/07/hugo-scorseses-birthday-present-to-georges-melies/

Walters, J. (2002, March 1). Pioneers: Georges Méliès. . Retrieved July 18, 2014, from http://www.earlycinema.com/pioneers/melies_bio.html

Woerner, M. (2011, November 23). What Martin Scorsese's Hugo Taught Us About the Grandfather of Science Fiction Film, Georges Méliès. . Retrieved July 18, 2014, from http://io9.com/5861647/what-hugo-taught-us-about-the-grandfather-of-science-fiction-film-georges-melies