Scorsese’s Hugo Was a Reminiscent Film about Films
This week I had the pleasure to see Hugo, Martin Scorsese’s new film that was presented (at least in my theater) only in 3D. The film, which I have blogged about before, follows the story of an orphaned boy (Asa Butterfield) living in a train station in Paris around the 1940′s. He lives in the walls of the train station taking care of the clocks while his uncle (whose job it is) has gone missing. Hugo’s father (Jude Law) died in a fire at the museum where he worked, leaving the boy orphaned as his mother died when he was very young.
The film follows Hugo and his newly found friend Isabelle (Chloe Grace Mortez) who also lost her parents but is being watched by Papa George (Sir Ben Kingsley) and Mama Jeanne (Helen McCroy). Papa George runs a toy shop in the train station that Hugo scouts out and steals gears for in order to fix and automoton that his father found before his death.
The real George Melies
Sir Ben Kingsley as George Melies
The film begins to spiral around the automoton and the identity of Papa George, and if you would like to be completely taken by the film I suggest you stop reading now…
Papa George ends up being none other than George Melies, the famous french director who directed over 500 films from 1896-1913. The story of the film then shifts into basically a love story for film, which for me was amazing. We learn about a true story that Melies was discouraged and sort of forgotten once the war came and sold all of his assets in order to survive. He faked his own death because he was embarrassed for the loss of his career.
This film is so well made and beautiful and the actors did such an amazing job. I highly suggest going to see it, be you a film geek or not. The film tells a beautiful story and really shows how much Scorsese loves film.
