Hugo, directed by Martin Scorsese, is nominally the story of Hugo Cabret, a Parisian orphan, but its real focus is filmmaker Georges Méliès, played by Ben Kingsley. Méliès sells toys at a small booth, though Hugo discovers his past as a cinema pioneer. Méliès directed A Trip to the Moon (Le voyage dans la lune), silent cinema’s first masterpiece, excerpts from which are included in Scorsese’s film.
Hugo also features clips from other silent classics, including The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari) (which set the template for Scorsese’s Shutter Island) and The Great Train Robbery (which inspired the final shot of Scorsese’s GoodFellas). The scene depicted on the poster is, of course, a reference to Safety Last.
At a time of digital film production, exhibition, and distribution, Hugo emphasises the medium’s mechanical origins, and hopefully the film will introduce silent films to a new generation. (Scorsese has promoted early cinema before, writing the foreword to Silent Movies.) It’s a charming film, and an evocative tribute to the first artist of cinema, though the Méliès storyline might not be sufficiently engaging for children.
Hugo also has parallels with Scorsese’s own life. Like the title character, Scorsese was captivated by the cinema as a child, and he rehabilitated the reputation of director Michael Powell, just as Hugo brings Méliès back into the limelight.
Hugo also features clips from other silent classics, including The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari) (which set the template for Scorsese’s Shutter Island) and The Great Train Robbery (which inspired the final shot of Scorsese’s GoodFellas). The scene depicted on the poster is, of course, a reference to Safety Last.
At a time of digital film production, exhibition, and distribution, Hugo emphasises the medium’s mechanical origins, and hopefully the film will introduce silent films to a new generation. (Scorsese has promoted early cinema before, writing the foreword to Silent Movies.) It’s a charming film, and an evocative tribute to the first artist of cinema, though the Méliès storyline might not be sufficiently engaging for children.
Hugo also has parallels with Scorsese’s own life. Like the title character, Scorsese was captivated by the cinema as a child, and he rehabilitated the reputation of director Michael Powell, just as Hugo brings Méliès back into the limelight.
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