The Romance Clinging to Hugo
By Rupashri Ashok
BA-VII/H-01/2014
It is not a romantic film in the usual sense, but, set in Paris, just after the Golden Twenties, Scorsese’s Hugo has an immediate touch of romance. Based on the novel ‘The Invention of Hugo Cabret’ by Brian Selznick, it tells us a story filled with mystery and adventure, glamour, colour, and excitement.
Most of the story takes place in the Gare Montparnasse railway station, which itself is presented with an aura of mystique. Hugo, played by Asa Butterfield, is recently orphaned and lives in the cavernous depths of the station with his uncle, maintaining the clocks. But his real interest and aim is to repair an automaton that his father found not long before his death. The automaton
…show more content…
His films, often starring his beautiful wife Jeanne (Helen McCrory), were something new, magical, things of beauty which left the audience mesmerized and spellbound. It was like watching one’s dreams on the big screen. But after being forced to shut his theatre and sell his films to be destroyed, Méliès was left an empty shell – until Hugo and the automaton, which originally had belonged to Méliès, entered the picture.
Various small elements of romance subtly nudge the pieces of the story together. Gustave’s love for the girl who sells flowers makes him go soft on Hugo, and eventually even save his life as Hugo attempts to rescue the automaton from the railway tracks. There are tiny shows of affection everywhere – between two people at a café, their pet dogs – it is Paris after all!
With the help of the children and a film enthusiast, Méliès realises that all is not lost – some of his films have been recovered, and he himself has not been forgotten. He is named a professor at the Film Academy, and he adopts Hugo as his son. The film ends with Isabelle sitting down and writing a ‘Once upon to time’ to ‘Happily ever after’