Méliès’s Trip to the Moon Still Looks Like Nothing Else From Its Own Era

Georges Méliès built the future of cinema one frame at a time, and A Trip to the Moon is where he proved it. This 15-minute adventure from 1902, written, directed and produced by Méliès, is the first science fiction film ever made, and it still looks like magic today. It follows Professor Barbenfouillis and five fellow astronomers who ride a cannon-propelled capsule to the Moon, face the dangers of its caves, and bring back a captive Selenite.

The film is pure spectacle, and it earns every second of its running time.

Trailer, via Arrow Academy.

The Cannon and the Moon

The premise is simple: a group of astronomers decide to leave Earth. They build a capsule shaped like a bullet and fire it from a giant cannon, with marines dressed as young women in sailors’ uniforms helping push it into space. The capsule hits the Man in the Moon in the eye, a shot that became one of the most famous images in cinema history.

Once on the Moon, the astronomers walk across the surface without space suits or breathing gear. They watch the Earth rise in the distance, then roll out their blankets and sleep. A comet passes overhead, the Big Dipper shows human faces in each star, old Saturn leans out of his window in his ringed planet, and Phoebe, the goddess of the Moon, appears seated in a crescent-moon swing.

When Phoebe causes a snowfall that wakes the astronomers, they find giant mushrooms in a cave. One of them opens his umbrella, and it takes root and turns into a giant mushroom itself. Then the Selenites arrive, insectoid aliens named after the Greek moon goddess Selene. The astronomers kill them easily, since the creatures explode if struck with force.

The Cast and the Craft

Méliès leads the cast as Professor Barbenfouillis and the Moon. He was already a successful magician and filmmaker by 1902, having made Cinderella (1899) and Joan of Arc (1900). He served as director, producer, writer, designer, technician, publicist, editor and often actor on his films, making him one of the first cinematic auteurs.

Bleuette Bernon plays Phoebe, the goddess on the crescent moon. Méliès found her singing at the cabaret L’Enfer in the 1890s, and she also appeared in his Cinderella. François Lallement plays the officer of the marines, and Henri Delannoy plays the captain of the rocket. Jules-Eugène Legris plays the parade leader; he was a magician who performed at Méliès’s theatre of stage illusions, the Théâtre Robert-Houdin in Paris.

Victor André, Delpierre, Farjaux, Kelm and Brunnet play the astronomers. André worked at the Théâtre de Cluny; the others were singers in French music halls. The Ballet of the Théâtre du Châtelet rounded out the cast.

The Legacy and the Restoration

A Trip to the Moon vanished into obscurity after Méliès retired from filmmaking. It was rediscovered around 1930, as his importance to cinema history began to be recognized by film devotees. An original hand-coloured print was found in 1993 and restored in 2011.

The film remains Méliès’s best-known work. Its iconic image of the capsule landing in the Moon’s eye is one of the most frequently referenced images in the history of cinema. It was ranked 84th among the 100 greatest films of the 20th century by The Village Voice.

Why It Still Works

What makes A Trip to the Moon endure is not its length but its ambition. Méliès did not just tell a story; he built a world. The film uses stop-motion effects, painted sets and live actors to create a Moon that feels both strange and real. The comedy, adventure and science fiction elements work together without clashing.

The film’s influence is everywhere. It set the template for space adventures that would dominate cinema for decades. Its visual style can be seen in everything from Star Wars to Moonage Daydream.

A Score of 10

A Trip to the Moon is a perfect film within its limits. It is a short, silent, hand-coloured adventure that changed what cinema could do. Méliès’s vision, craft and imagination are on full display.

Key Facts Box

• Title: A Trip to the Moon (Le Voyage dans la Lune)
• Director: Georges Méliès
• Release Year: 1902
• Runtime: 15 minutes
• Ranking: 84th among the 100 greatest films of the 20th century (The Village Voice)

Comparison Table

The film is a time capsule. It captures the wonder of a generation that first looked up and wondered what might be out there. It is a reminder that the simplest idea can become the most lasting image. The capsule in the eye of the Moon is still there, waiting for anyone who cares to look.

A Trip to the Moon · classic cinema · Georges Méliès · science fiction · silent film