Le Voyage dans la lune

Even if you've never seen the whole thing or  weren't really aware of it at all, the still I have here of the big, cheesy moon with a rocket stuck in its eye is probably still familiar to you.  This film, 110 years old this year, has several iconic images in it that have been sampled by others for a long time.

Voyage to the Moon is worth your time for several reasons, actually.  First, that anything as delicate as film survived 110 years should demand your respect and at least one viewing.  However, a "pity view" isn't really what will go on.  You'll very quickly be pulled in to the fantastic strangeness of it all.  It seems as though we're only getting a piece of a larger story.  It would be interesting, in fact, for some good writer to take it and expand it.

Another reason is the beauty of it.  In some ways, it feels very old.  In others, though, it feels quite timeless.  The hand-colored version has gorgeous hues.  The costumes the characters wear and the sets in which they perform are incredibly elaborate given the brevity of the film (only about 15 min credits to ending titles).

Finally, there is the sheer whimsy of it.  It is very much a forerunner to all our modern "space sagas."  There are fanciful moon soldiers, astronomers who look more like magicians, highly theoretical and innovative (for the time) tech, pitched battles, last-minute escapes.  It's quite fun.

Therefore, if you haven't seen it, I encourage you to take a few minutes to watch it here.  I'd love to know what you thought of it when you're done.  You may have to click through to YouTube proper, but this is the only version of the whole thing I could find.....