Directed by Georges Méliès

Position on the list (at time of viewing): 286

This is one of the first narrative films ever made. It (obviously) represents a gigantic leap forward from the previous film. Being made six full years later probably helped with that. Although still very brief at only about 16 minutes, the film makes quite the impact while it lasts. As is the case with so much early film, this one is exactly what it says on the tin–it’s a fantastic (as in fantasy-inspired) representation of a trip to the moon by a group of sorcerer-scientists. 

It’s really a wonderful movie, especially in light of the general milieu of film at this time.The film is insane, on so so many levels. That a human being conceived of this madness at all astonishes me over 100 years later. It is widely recognized as the first ever science fiction film, as well as one of the most influential films ever made, period. I have seen very little film from this period, and only one other Méliès film, but the innovation on display here is amazing. 

Its execution is a technical marvel if you have any idea of how it was actually made. The version that most people will be watching is a version rediscovered in 1993 that was hand-colored, frame by frame. This gives the entire film a frenetically mobile appearance. The colors jitter and jump on the characters, somehow enhancing the fantasy-like approach to the material. It’s beautiful even without the added color though, with captivating visuals throughout, managing to tell an interesting visual story that has the qualities of a dream somehow committed to celluloid, following that strange kind of logic that makes perfect sense in the moment while seeming crazy upon reflection. 

The film is brief, but that just means that it doesn’t outstay its welcome. This movie defines the way that directors visually tell stories for a couple of decades to come, and it’s a positive influence, in my opinion. Seeing a clear and discernible narrative brought to life in this manner is exciting and fun, even to the non-film historian. Absolutely worth a quarter hour of your time–you can even watch it a couple of times so that your astonishment at its madness on your first viewing can be tempered by your appreciation of its genius on your second.

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