A Trip to the Moon (1902)

20150703:
It was neat to see this film, especially considering the restoration process. Unfortunately, I was a bit sleepy and nodded off two or three times during it.

I liked how the disappearing effect was created. Good old-fashioned special effects.

One aspect I disliked was the changing colors. While it was a technical obstacle, the constantly fluctuating colors made the movie nonetheless difficult to watch.


Overall, I enjoyed the artistic value of the film, but technology has advanced well beyond it and it hasn't aged well.

[20170316 Edit]

20170316:
Today I decided to watch the black-and-white version followed by the color version for comparison and I would first have to mention that the color only noticeably flickers from time to time (less drastic than notes from my first viewing implied).


With that being said, I still enjoyed the black-and-white version more.

On a different note, and perhaps a problem with versioning on Netflix, is that the black-and-white version contains narration while the color version contains a musical soundtrack, each giving the film a different vibe. It'd be interesting to view the black-and-white version with the musical soundtrack and the color version with the narration.


This snippet from the Wikipedia page sheds a little light on the narration/lack of:
Though Méliès's films were of course silent, they were not intended to be seen silently; exhibitors often used a bonimenteur, or narrator, to explain the story as it unfolded on the screen, accompanied by sound effects and live music.

Overall, I'm sure I enjoyed the color version of this movie on this viewing than the last. Furthermore, I enjoyed the black-and-white version more than the color version.


I previously rated the color version 3 stars on Netflix, and I kept it that way. Netflix had the black-and-white version rated for me at 3.5, and, rounding up from 3.5, I gave it 4 stars.

Instant Comments:
3: Oh weird, the color version lacks narration. In its place is some strange music.
2: "You will listen and like it!"
2: Slavery of an alien species...
3: Oh, the statue at the end is of the scientist standing on a miniature moon with a rocket in it's eye.


3: "A black and white original nitrate print belong to Madeleine Malthete-Melies and a positive print belong to CNC have been used for this restoration." | ... | "2011 digital restoration was made by Technicolor in Los Angeles."
1=20150703 (color), 2=20170316 (black-and-white), 3=20170316 (color)

Watched 20150715 (Netflix, Instant) Color version. 15 min
Watched 20170316 (Netflix, Instant) Black-and-white version. 12 min
Watched 20170316 (Netflix, Instant) Color version. 15 min
A Trip to the Moon (1902) George Melies. 13 min


Relevant Links:
A Trip to the Moon (IMDb.com)
A Trip to the Moon (Wikipedia.org)

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