A Trip to the Moon — 122 Years Later…

In 1969, Neil Armstrong was the very first person to step on the moon... allegedly...

67 years earlier, professor Barbenfouillis was the very first person to step on the moon... IN A MOVIE?!

Here a professor goes to the moon, attacks some aliens, kills their king, and returns home... with a captive...? 😬

A Trip to the Moon is relatively simple by today's standards. Its narrative is a list of plot points, hinging a lot of its appeal on its spectacle. In 1902, that spectacle was probably pretty cool. In 2024, it's like...

Neil Armstrong stepped on the actual moon, you know?

So in watching a film that's over 100 years old, I sort of think about it like I'm going to the museum. Like here I am, imagining myself in 1902 watching one of the very first films of human history.

In 1902, I'm looking at this expansion of the theater, and thanks to the technological advancements in photography, and eventually audio engineering, I'm seeing a man walk on the moon.

In 1902, I'm impressed by the gorgeously painted backdrops, and creative stage props. I find each scene feels like elevated theater. It's both charming and a bit goofy to see these grown men land on the moon, get jump scared by this random fire, then get randomly sleepy, and decide to take a nap.