Part Two The Real Magic Behind Hugo

You can probably see how the magic here works: the camera operator filmed Mama Jeanne in the chair, stopped filming while she moved away then started filming again when she was out of the scene to make it appear as though she had disappeared. This technique was known as Méliès’ “substitution splice.”

This is not groundbreaking or surprising to audiences today, but in the 1890s, it was kind of mind-blowing! Some historians say new technology develops so fast now, it doesn’t surprise us as much as new inventions surprised earlier generations. For example, in some cities now, people are used to seeing driverless cars all the time, but when cars were first invented (around the time Méliès first started making movies), if a car showed up in a town for the first time, everyone would surround it and marvel at the “horseless carriage.” 

QUESTION:

Is there technology (old or new) that truly surprises you? If so, what is it? If not, why do you think kids are harder to impress now, and do you see this shift as a negative thing or a positive thing or something else?

It may seem strange to think anyone thought movies were so useless they were better repurposed as shoe heels, but wartime shortages meant people sometimes had to make difficult choices. This was part of the reason for destroying the films, but the thing is, people besides Papa Georges didn’t think it was that big of deal. Even movie fans thought there would be no reason to save films for future generations to see. 

CHOOSE ONE:

ONE: If you could go back in time and talk to the people who decided to destroy Méliès’ films — including Papa Georges himself! — what would you say to them? 

TWO: How would you explain YouTube and the internet? 

THREE: Why is it important/not important to be able to see things from history? 

FOUR: Do you think you would understand and/or like the novel as much if you couldn’t see the movies and technology that surface in the story?

CHOOSE ONE:

ONE: How does knowing which parts of Hugo are rooted in reality impact your feelings about the novel? Do true stories interest you more than pure fiction? Why or why not?

TWO: If you ever decided — or were assigned — to write your own work of historical fiction, what time period would you choose? Which historical figures would you include? Why?

THREE: What surprises you most about the lives of the Méliès — or life 100 years ago, in general?

FOUR: Are you glad you live in the 2020s, or do you think it might be fun or interesting to live 100 years ago, or maybe just visit the past? Explain your thinking.