Dominant elements of Melies' production include the well synced orchestra matching the series of actions and detail of black and white design. There is no sound beyond the music yet the progression of what's going on is always clear for the most part.
Looking back at Emile Cohl's animations and the early beginnings of Felix the cat and quick sketches we watched in class, it's incredible to see the rapid transformation of quality and talent in such an exhausting process.
We take the process of creating a film for granted, imagining it's construction appearing with a click of the pen but in actuality, the time, effort and skill that went into the first artistic acts are spell binding. We see this in the video showcasing Walt Disney's transformation of cartoon animations and here in Melies' short movie. The variety of scenes, from earth to space to the bottom of the ocean is incredibly cool.
My favorite part of the video as a whole is definitely when the men arrive on the moon. I couldn't help but watch the entirety of the video and be reminded of the acid trip that is Alice in Wonderland. Below I made note of a few key times showcasing events or details that really popped out.
6:36 Love the change in music, almost ethnic like a tango then it slows as what looks to be snow, falls from the sky, creating this soft, romantic tone.
7:03 Epitome of Acid Trip, similar to Alice in Wonderland, they're in an overgrown mushroom forrest with little creatures jumping out to attack. Genius. Like magicians, they combat the flying monkey-like characters and turn them into clouds of smoke.
8:30 Even in black and white, the detail of the architecture in the castle is so rich we imagine it be stoic gold leaf. The composition in front of this castle with military lined up in their ravishing costumes further enforces the symmetry of the scene.
8:58 TEXTURE of the planet is incredible. The very first thing that pops up and cannot be ignored- the craters in the moon are beautiful and the layering of the land, not just flat but raised and grooved is very life like.
9:56 spaceship falling to the bottom of the ocean
What a transition into a new and exciting place to capture the audience's attention and mystify them! The bubbles, the seaweed, the fish- Melies knows how to paint the perfect adventure.
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