Le voyage dans la lune (1902)

Writers:

Release Date:

4 October 1902 (USA)

Genre:

Short | Adventure | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

Plot:

A group of astronomers go on an expedition to the moon.

Plot Keywords:

Moon | Astronomer | Escape | Moon Men | Cannon

Cast

Victor André	...	(uncredited)
Bleuette Bernon	...	Lady in the moon (uncredited)
Brunnet	...	Astronomer (uncredited)
Jeanne d'Alcy	...	(uncredited)
Henri Delannoy	...	Captain of the rocket (uncredited)
Depierre	...	(uncredited)
Farjaut	...	Astronomer (uncredited)
Kelm	...	Astronomer (uncredited)
Georges Méliès	...	Prof. Barbenfouillis (uncredited)

Also Known As:

A Trip to Mars (USA) (copyright title)
A Trip to the Moon
Voyage to the Moon

Runtime:

14 min (16 fps) | 8 min (25 fps)

Country:

France

Color:

Color (hand-colored) | Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

USA:TV-G (TV rating)

Company:

Star Film

Trivia:

After finishing work on the film, Georges Méliès intended to release it in America and thereby make lots of money. Unfortunately, Thomas A. Edison's film technicians had already secretly made copies of the film, which was showed across the USA within weeks. Melies never made any money from the film's American showings, and went broke several years later (while Edison made a fortune on the film.)

Goofs:

Continuity: After the astronomers have climbed out of the shell on landing on the Moon and before they see the Earth rise, the shell disappears.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "Futurama: The Series Has Landed (#1.2)" (1999)

A special movie by the father of special effects!

The face of cinema has been changed drastically, and the expectations from the viewers have also been changed. Nowadays we have a bunch of options before choosing a movie, from realistic dinosaurs to computer generated images and from mind throttling actions to terrifying stunts, we have them all but in this era of technology nobody can ignore the true genius of George Melies, as I had seen 'A Trip to The Moon' I was amazed that what he had done in 1902 with all his limitations. The 14 min of this short movie captivates you and the vision of Jules Verne was precisely conveyed. The editing, photography, and special effects created by Melies are immaculate. And the way he showed the landing of a rocket on the moon was very much humorous as the rocket landed on the eye of personified moon and how the native of moon threatened the astronomers to leave. These types of movies are the edifice of today's fantasy movies .In the end it's the best work by Melies and worth a watch