Le Voyage dans la lune (A Trip to the Moon) poster & wallpaper
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Vicotr Andre, Bleuette Bernon, Brunnet, Jeanne d'Alcy, Henri Delannoy ... see more see more... , Georges Méliès , Victor André , Dominique Delpierre , Farjaux , Kelm

A Trip to the Moon is the most famous of the over 500 short films produced by cinema pioneer Georges Méliès betwen 1896 and 1912, and its signature image of a bullet-shaped rocket lodging itself in th... read more read more...e eye of a smirking moon is one of the most recognizable images in cinema history. An accomplished magician, Méliès moved from simple recordings of his stage shows to dazzling fantasy epics which were among the first narrative films ever made. These "trick films" combined fantastic yarns, intricate painted sets, and elaborate costumes with such simple but effective special effects as slow motion, dissolves, and superimpositions. Like Méliès's other long films of the period, Trip to the Moon is composed of a series of tableaux, each featuring chaotic action and multiple camera tricks photographed with a stubbornly static camera, which work together to tell a simple story. It proved sensationally popular with audiences, though Edwin S. Porter's The Great Train Robbery rode a slightly more sophisticated narrative to greater success the following year. As one of the earliest examples of cinematic fantasy, A Trip to the Moon paved the way for such filmic flights of fancy as The Wizard of Oz and Star Wars, as it proved that the seduction of the audience through special effects has roots deeper than the blockbusters of the Seventies. ~ Mark Pittillo, Rovi

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88% liked it

5,513 ratings

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7 critics

Unrated, 14 min.

Directed by: Georges Méliès

Release Date: January 1, 1999

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Flixster Reviews (527)

  • TheDudeLebowski65
    February 29, 2012
    TheDudeLebowski65
    Le Voyage dans la lune is a very important film in the history of cinema. This is a wonderful short film that should be seen by every serious film buff. I first became aware of this film when watching the HBO miniseries From the Earth to the Moon, and afterwards I lost sight of t... read morehis film. Fortunately upon watching the trailer to Hugo I was able to rediscover this film, and check it out. This is a terrific sci fi short film that captures the imagination. The film is really something to see, The film uses simple, yet very creative tricks for special effects. Georges Méliès influence on cinema is important, and as one of the first directors in the medium, he pioneered something that 100 years later would still be exciting to see. This film is simple, yet effective and shows that even all the way back in 1902, the cinematic medium had the power to capture the imagination. This is a classic film that is a pleasant treat to watch. The film is fun to look at, and despite for its slight silliness, no one can dismiss this film. This film served in a way as a prediction that we would land on the moon. Before there was Sci fi as we know it, there was this film. This film is an important landmark in film history. This film shows that even in the early days of cinema, great ideas for films were striving to entertain audiences. Georges Méliès is a true pioneer of the cinematic medium and his imagination, vision and skill to create something wonderful on-screen is a testament that outclasses even the biggest films of today. If you're curious about the early of cinema, and are passionate about the medium, then give this work a shot. This is truly a fun silent film that is memorable and worth your time.
  • spielberg00
    February 16, 2012
    spielberg00
    There are two possible lenses to see LE VOYAGE DANS LA LUNE (in English: A Trip to the Moon through. The first is that it is merely an extremely uneventful, silly, and boring film, even though it doesn't reach a mere ten minutes (yes, apparently that was considered feature-lengt... read moreh upon its 1902 release). Contrarily, you could view it as a French film that could have easily served as the inspiration for today's cinematic science fiction of greater lengths, such as APOLLO 13 or even WALL-E, if you may.

    Though I struggled a bit when trying to fixate myself into the latter position, I can't quite agree with the former opinion, either. Based on two novels (From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne and The First Men in the Moon by H.G. Wells), this is one of the few films that strike me as downright questionable. For the first two minutes, it's as if the same three or four shots are repeated over and over, just to take up some time: we see a group of people together and another man pacing below them. Creativity? I think not.

    I can't exactly say that I hate silent films, but I certainly am not into them. LE VOYAGE is a film that probably should have been waited on until sound was available, so that a hundred and ten years later, we aren't staring at the screen wondering what on Earth is going on. No, there aren't any title cards here, either. Maybe for its 110th anniversary, this film should have audio added into it, and earn itself another release. It's just so excruciating wondering what's going on and why such a film is so beloved.
  • fb733768972
    September 17, 2011
    fb733768972
    In the first sci-fi/adventure film of all time, a man leads his crew to believe that he can shoot them in a bullet through a cannon, onto the moon. The visual effects are all practical and hand drawn, making this one of the most celebrated pieces of film of all time. It may be si... read moremple, but when it was first released, George Meilies decided to Direct, Produce, Edit, do the artwork, and anything else other than the acting was his to helm. He wanted his work to be as picture perfect as possible. It may be laughable now, but it was phenomenal for it's time. A Trip To The Moon is not just a small extravagant piece of filmmaking, but it is a celebration of the ages!
  • FrizzDrop
    June 20, 2011
    FrizzDrop
    The first sci-fi film ever made, George Melies brings his history as a magician to the screen with many tricks and first time use of special effects to the screen. The plot is simply that of a group of astronomers who venture to the moon on an expedition. There is a fair bit of c... read moreomedy along the way, along with a series of events that has led many college classes to venture that it revolves around colonization and Imperialism. One can see this by the destruction of the moon's inhabitants and the ignorance of the astronomers, who fall off a cliff, falling back to Earth. Though simplistic, the sets were lavish, the effects magically, and the comedy firm and ageless. Simply a great first step into the medium.
  • webalina
    December 10, 2010
    webalina
    In the late 19th and early 20th century, Thomas Edison's production company was making films with a realism and a social conscience. Across the pond in France, Georges Melies was making wildly fantastic films about space and fairies and gods and goddesses, filled with magical spe... read morecial effects, explosions and lots and lots of half-dressed girls. A Trip to the Moon is his most-well known film. Even people who know nothing about early filmmaking would recognize the scene of the moon with the rocket stuck in its eye. From a scientific standpoint, this film is ridiculous in its naivete' about space travel -- Melies ain't H.G. Wells or Jules Verne -- but that doesn't matter. The obviously hand-painted sets and cartoonish effects add to the fantasy, not to mention the entertainment value. This film is considered the first science-fiction film, without which films such as Forbidden Planet, Star Wars and Alien may never have existed.
  • ajv2688
    September 3, 2010
    ajv2688
    One of my favourite old sci-fi movies. Although you can tell that the set and effects are cheap and fake, they're so creative and cool that you don't mind. This is a must see for sci-fi fans.
  • kiriyamakazou
    November 7, 2009
    kiriyamakazou
    Want to see one of those pieces of art that has inspired, pretty much, everything that came after it? A Trip to the Moon will be familiar, even if you haven't seen it. It's imagery has cropped up in adverts, music videos and , well, just about everywhere. It's a very short film a... read morebout some men that go to the moon. Everything about this film is truly creative, even 107 years later. From the bullet to the moon, to the fragile inhabitants. It's hard to imagine to imagine the medium, or sci-fi, being the same without it.
  • pier007
    May 22, 2008
    pier007
    Probably the first motion picture with a story. Very resourceful and imaginative.
  • jennifxu
    June 25, 2007
    jennifxu
    those selenites are GREAT. this movie is a 100 years old and i am still incessantly entertained by it. it just goes to show that dated movies (even one that goes THIS far back; seriously i didn't even know they had cameras back then) can still be absolutely FABULOUS.
  • fb1619601747
    February 9, 2011
    fb1619601747
    'A Trip to the Moon' is a classic imaginative short film, and is memorable as being one of the first films ever made.

View All Le Voyage dans la lune (A Trip to the Moon) Reviews

Critic Reviews

Sean Axmaker
May 19, 2012
Sean Axmaker, Seanax.com

... a work of pure, playful imagination, a picture-book fantasy brought to life with intricate, hand-painted sets and a whimsical portrait of science as wizardry by way of the industrial revolution ... Full Review

Matt Brunson
April 25, 2012
Matt Brunson, Creative Loafing

A treat for cineastes and sci-fi fans alike, with Melies borrowing from both Jules Verne and H.G. Wells. Full Review

Jeffrey M. Anderson
April 25, 2012
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid

Seeing A Trip to the Moon on Blu-Ray can leave one bedazzled. Full Review

Dennis Schwartz
March 14, 2009
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Cinema's first science fiction story. Full Review

Wesley Lovell
August 5, 2006
Wesley Lovell, Oscar Guy

Early filmmaking at its best.

Tim Dirks
March 16, 2004
Tim Dirks, Tim Dirks' The Greatest Films

The screen's first science fiction story - a 14 min. masterpiece, created by imaginative French director/master magician Georges Melies in his version of Jules Verne's story. Full Review

Phil Hall
March 8, 2004
Phil Hall, Film Threat

The primitive silent landmark has more charm and originality than many modern CGI-cluttered epics. Full Review

July 14, 2011
Digital Spy

Click to read the article Full Review

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