Hugo Cabret Film Analysis

Hugo- Cinematographic Brilliance with a Historical Touch

Hugo, Martin Scorsese’s first movie for children is a celebration of cinema and is a deviation from his other films like Mean Streets, Raging Gull and Shutter Island. The movie recreates the magic of age old silent movies of the famous French filmmaker George Melies The movie is a journey though the life of Melies’ and a recollection of the history of world cinema. The role of Melies’ is played by none other than the legendary Ben Kinsley, well known for his portrayal of Gandhi.

Scorsese’s adapted the movie from Brian Selznick’s book The Invention of Hugo Cabret. The title character, Hugo Cabret is played Asa Butterfield is a genius with machines. Hugo in many ways reminds the audience

The automaton was originally designed by Melies and Hugo’s father had got it from the museum. Hugo sets out to repair the automaton and in the process meets Melies himself and his god-daughter Isabelle. Isabelle, portrayed by Chloe Grace Mortez, is a bookish girl who in more ways than one reminds us of Hermione Granger. Together Hugo and Isabelle try to decipher the mystery of the automaton and from there the real story begins.

The automaton is a wonder in itself, an almost robot like being, who drives the story to it completion. In the later part of the movie Hugo says “Everything has a purpose, even machines…they do what they are meant to do….maybe it’s the same with people, if you lose your purpose, it’s like you are broken.” This, I believe is the moral Scorsese’ wanted to convey through the movie. This is actually meant to make the audience sit up and think about their own purpose in the

The dream Hugo has of a train racing into the platform is quite relatable to the film Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat by Lumiere Brothers. Back then, the audience had jumped out of their seats, scared they were going to hit. Almost a hundred years later, in Hugo’s dream scene, Scorsese’s, with the help of the special effects succeeds in creating the same sense of panic in the much more modern audience. Scorsese also brings back to life one of Melies’ most famous work A Trip to the Moon, as an integral part of the 3D spectacle.

Hugo, in a way is Scorsese’s attempt to educate the audience about the history behind the art and brings back the forgotten pioneers of this art back to the forefront. He does this by enveloping history in an attractive package of visual effects, a theme of mystery and a very strong cast of actors. It is a movie within a movie and brings back to screen the forgotten works of the nineteenth century to the general