Last week I happen to watch on Netflix great film directed by Martin Scorsese called Hugo. It's not only film itself even it was really nicely made (received 5 Academy Awards, 2 BAFTAs and a Golden Globe) but also the historical persona the film reffered provoked my curiosity.
While brothers Lumiere are generally well-known as first filmmakers litlle we know about other pioneers. Film Hugo revealed for me another genious: George Méliès illusionist and film maker of early days of cinema.
Watching in Hugo the fragments of Melies film "Le Voyage dans la Lune" ("Voyage to the Moon", 1902) gave me so much joy as only a masterpiece for all times can do.
Also it was quite interesting later to find out more about this filmmaker and his muse and wife beautiful Jeanne d'Alcy who starred in his films. Following success in filmmaking where he used stageeffects to astonish people he created his own studio for his Star Film company where all his dreams came visual: fairies, fantasies were his world.
The films became acknowledged and had international succes.
The first world war had a profound effect to his creativity: it took it all from him as the amount of the world drama couldn't be cured with light fairytales anymore. In despair George Melies burned everything left in his studio including stage costumes on which so deliberatey worked before.
Ironically during the war French army used the negatives of the films to create heels for shoes.
It was easy for me to relate to the story of George Melies. In a way those cicles always repeat themselves in time of peace art is of importance in times of insurgencies and wars arts go to background before reemerges again in new form while humans need to relieve their psyco from all the pain they 've gone through. Then art became less light but more deep.
So salute to George Meies for his masterpieces and his input in development of cinematography. Luckily his works were praised again.
