Georges Méliès - Le voyage dans la Lune (1902), 5/10

When viewing Le voyage dans la lune it is important to remember how revolutionary its narrative presentation was compared to the very short films preceding its production. There are some wonderfully creative tricks with film modification, including several superimpositions that are surprisingly charming, even exciting. The story itself is engaging despite its very simple structure and progression. While setting aside its monumental place in the origin of modern film, the presentation is still pleasing and even intriguing throughout its entirety, keeping one guessing about what comes next in its story, especially in its visuals. Greater things were on the horizon but Le voyage dans la lune is a superb starting point for creativity in filmmaking and established a foundation for future filmmakers. Méliès deserves infinite praise for acting as such a pioneer, especially considering his integral role in every facet of producing the film. Wonderfully endearing and surreal, this early instance of visual story is remarkably timeless despite its obvious novelty, and considering its fourteen-minute runtime there is no excuse to miss out on such an important part of film history.