Le Voyage dans la lune (A Trip to the Moon) - 10 stars out of 10

Le Voyage dans la lune (A Trip to the Moon) - 10 stars out of 10

"Le Voyage dans la lune" is simply one of the most important films in the history of cinema.  This adventure, created by film pioneer Georges Méliès, is credited as the first science fiction film EVER.  It is best remembered for its image of a bullet-shaped rocket crashing into the eye of the man in the moon, but the special effects extend far beyond that.  While most people were still trying to figure out how moving pictures work, Méliès was pushing the boundaries of special effects in his glass-house film studio.  The use of scale models, smoke, and quick cuts allowed Méliès to make characters disappear before our very eyes and transport us to places that mankind had never seen.  I can't even comprehend how Méliès created the image of the man in the moon without modern film technology.  But my favorite moment of the entire film is when the astronomers are standing on the moon and watch the Earth rise in the distance.  It is an absolutely chilling moment, almost foreshadowing films like "2001: A Space Odyssey" and "Apollo 13" that would be created nearly a hundred years later.  I definitely recommend seeing Scorsese's "Hugo" - it is a beautiful tribute to Méliès and a great insight into the mind of this famed filmmaker.  Some people might not take the time to look this masterpiece up on youtube because it is antiquated, but "Le Voyage dans la lune" is film history in its purest form and is an incredible lesson about the progression of cinema.