Release Date: 01/15/2002
Dubbed: English/French/Ger
Sound: DD2
Run Time: 185 min
Distributor/Studio: Facets
Georges Méliès was one of the most important filmmakers of cinema's first era; a pioneer of dramatic filmmaking (as opposed to the early
Edison and
Lumiere shorts, which simply documented everyday occurrences),
Méliès also devised editing tricks and special effects techniques that are still in use today. Just as importantly, his trick films have an easy wit and charm that still communicate to audiences nearly a century after they were created. However, very little of his work has been made widely available on home video, so the DVD release of
Méliès the Magician, which brings together two features produced for French television, is a more than welcome event for historically minded film buffs.
The Magic of Méliès is a fascinating 130-minute
documentary which offers an in-depth look at
Georges Méliès' life and times, his working methods, how he devised his revolutionary effects, his film studio (the first built with that purpose in mind), and the economic misfortunes which ended his career. The co-feature,
Méliès' Magic Show, is a presentation of 15 of
Méliès' surviving films (hosted by his granddaughter,
Madeleine Malthete-Méliès), which are shown in the best surviving prints (many with hand-coloring) and featuring new piano scores by
Eric Le Guen; each individual short is given its own chapter stop. Both features have been transferred in their original full-frame ratio, while a few of the early silents excerpted are presented in zoomboxed format to preserve additional frame information; for a PAL transfer, the images are pleasingly sharp, and the colors of the ancient hand-tinted films have been reproduced in beautifully vivid form. The audio for both features is presented in Dolby Digital Stereo, and viewers have the option of the original French-language tracks, or alternate tracks with English narration laid over the original audio. An interesting bonus feature of
The Magic of Méliès is an option to view certain films in their entirety when excerpts are shown in the course of the
documentary; while it interrupts the flow of the film, it's certainly a welcome option for repeat viewings of the film. (The only additional bonus feature is a fairly long promotional trailer for
Facets Video's "Silent Era Collection" video series.)
Méliès the Magician is fascinating stuff for students of the birth of film as a creative form, as well as anyone interested in movies at their most inventive and whimsical; this DVD presents historically invaluable material with all the respect it deserves.
~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
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