The Father of Special Effects: Georges Méliès

I love cinema. Everything about it fascinates me. And while today the industry is largely dominated by Hollywood or even Bollywood, I believe no country has pioneered cinema more than France. And one person, in particular, has made cinema the art form that it is today, Georges Méliès.
A Trip to the Moon (1902) - • Video
Hi there! This is Barris, a French - American that lived most of his life in France and is passionate about learning, exploring, hiking and cooking. It’s a vast and beautiful world out there so join me as we discover the historical, cultural and culinary heritage of France, Europe and the rest of the World.
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Marie-Georges-Jean Méliès was born on December 8th, 1861. He developed a lifelong passion for magic while visiting the Egyptian Hall in London. When his father retired, he sold his share of the shoe business to his brothers and used the money to buy the Théâtre Robert-Houdin. There he met performer Jehanne D'Alcy, who quickly became his mistress and muse.
On December 28th, 1895, Méliès attended a demonstration of the Lumière brothers' cinematograph, an early version of the modern camera and projector. As they refused to sell, Méliès traveled to London to purchase an Animatograph, which he soon reversed engineered into a camera. In Autumn of that same year, an event occurred that would change the face of cinema. While filming a bus, Méliès’ camera jammed, which took him a few minutes to repair. By the time the camera started working again, the bus was replaced by a hearse, creating a transformation effect. Méliès had discovered special effects. He then invented the first double exposure, going as far as using seven multiple exposures at once, the first split-screen, and first dissolve and even the first graphic manipulations.
At the end of 1896, Méliès founded the Star Film Company and built a studio in the outskirts of Paris. There, he directed the very first horror movie in history, The Devil's Castle. Later that year, more than half a century before Walt Disney, Méliès made the first movie adaptation of Cinderella. This movie was his call to fame as it became widely popular in both Europe and the United States. He became especially interested in using perspective in order to make characters and objects change in size, an effect that would be used more than a century later by Peter Jackson in Lord of the Rings.
This, along with all the other illusions he had perfected throughout the years, would be used in his masterpiece, “A Trip to the Moon”, Méliès instant 1902 classic loosely based on “From the Earth to the Moon” by Jules Verne. The movie is considered the first science-fiction film ever and is simply spectacular. He even went as far as having each frame painted to make the first colored movie. The movie was a smashing success, especially in the US, but, unfortunately, Méliès didn’t get to enjoy most of his international success as film producers such as Sigmund Lubin and Thomas Edison made a fortune by selling illegal copies of his movies.
But by 1905, his féerie style that he was known for was growing less and less popular and in 1908, his film studio, Star Film Company was pressured into joining Thomas Edison’s Motion Picture Patents Company under threat of being sued for patent infringement as Edison held most patents related to cinematography. Under the terms of his contract, Méliès was forced to supply the conglomerate 1,000 feet of film per week. Obviously, such a rush for production meant that the quality of his movies significantly deteriorated.
Two years later, Méliès made a deal with film distributor Charles Pathé. In exchange for a large sum of money to produce and direct movies, Pathé held the right to distribute and edit them. He also held the right to Méliès’ home and studio. A series of box office flops would force Méliès to break his contract in 1912 and Pathé was able to take over Star Films and the Studio. In a fit of rage, Méliès decided to burn his costumes, sets, and above all, his movies, which as a result were long thought to have been lost to the world… but fortunately, over 200 hundred of his movies have been rediscovered.
In 1925, Méliès married his long-time mistress, Jehanne d'Alcy, but by then he was forgotten and financially ruined as the couple barely scraped by operating a small candy and toy stand in the Gare Montparnasse in Paris. Fortunately, throughout the end of the 20s, journalists took interest in him and eventually a Gala of appreciation was made on December 1929. Finally, in October 1931, he was made a Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur, the highest honor in France. Yet, Méliès died in poverty of cancer on May 21st, 1938 at 76.

[@ThisisBarris]

Skip intro: 1:15 This video was by far the one I've enjoyed making the most and I hope it shows. Who's your favorite movie director? EDIT: The woman at 3:22 isn't Jehanne d'Alcy, but Theda Bara, an American actress known for playing Cleopatra in 1917. Sorry for the embarrassing mistake. Merde!

[@CSmith-hx2pm]

This is Barris! - French History it does! Thanks for making such quality and informative videos. Gillo Pontecorvo is my favorite! I love his films and his messages. Who’s yours?

[@Griff00]

Lynch

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you for watching them :) Oh wow, Gillo Pontecorvo is a great and interesting choice! Georges Méliès is obviously important for me but for modern times, I would say Stanley Kubrick.

[@GoldCobra487]

It's alright, there's never a bad excuse to show a picture of Theda Bara.

[@calebrands4912]

The 1917 Cleopatra has a very tragic story. It was hated by religious groups for showing too much skin and the last two copies were burned in a fire. It's a real shame because it could have been the best Cleopatra film for all we know. At least it's not five hours long.

[@rickyhunt4075]

Honestly not sure why we still celebrate Edison most of his inventions weren't even his own he had a whole team working for him. His business practices were repugnant and the man himself was repulsive.

[@ivanolsen8596]

Edison set the trend for modern business practices.

[@pablo-gb5th]

he was american so american schools teach about him

[@alisterfolson]

"You can't make an omelette without breaking some eggs" I'm convinced Edison like other famous people are pretty horrible human beings

[@pdjinne65]

the eternal conflict between the businessman and the artist...

[@JustinSh.]

So you think Edison shall be execrated?

[@TheStockwell]

One disconcerting thing about his work is how little it evolved. Although they improved technically, he never broke free from creating tableaus, painted sets, people frantically pointing out and reacting to the action, archaic costumes, and so on. His cinematic skills remained primitive when compared to what other filmmakers were doing, in France and everywhere else. His camera was stationary, nailed to one spot. Using a close-up, an interesting camera angle, or a simple edit never occurred to him. I think one of the great tragedies of his career was of his own doing: he invented one type of film, perfected it, and never moved on - film after film, year after year.

[@ThisisBarris]

Yes I can definitely see what you mean, and I agree. Critics agree too. I think you look back at this and bundle all these movies as one period so you don't realise (or rather think about the fact) that this is spread throughout multiple years. I think it's the destiny of all great innovators to one day become outdated and stalling - Einstein refused to believe in Quantum Physics after all. Thanks for watching and thank you for your insightful comment. Merde!

[@silenceofthehills7610]

Godspeed you, Georges Méliès. For giving us this amazing art form.

[@ArtisticallyArranged]

This was so beautifully narrated, with genuine love for the great Georges Méliès. Thank you, I loved every second of this tribute!

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you very much. I'm glad you could appreciate the love I've put into this. Really means a lot to me. I hope you enjoy my other videos too.

[@Artur_M.]

Edison being Edison. :)

[@Grvyrdcookies]

i dont know why but this made me cry! He truly is one of the greatest pioneers in cinema, and most of the greatest artists have the most tragic back stories and lives they lead, i hope people today can appreciate the road our pioneers paved for cinema to come so far

[@ThisisBarris]

Making this video and reading about his lifestyle really made me quite emotional. It's a shame that he isn't that well-known today, as you said, he is a pioneer so I hope this video helps spread his genius. Thanks for watching and merde!

[@georgecerulean5911]

This is a beautiful tribute to a marvelously creative man who not only pioneered the art of film special effects but whose films can still delight those who take the time to view them. Vive Georges Méliès!

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you George! Your words mean a lot to me. I definitely agree that his movies are delightful just for the sheer creativity he put into them. I don't think there are any other movies that are quite like his. Merde!

[@FlashArteAmor]

you said exactly that I'm thinking. Thank you sooo much @thisisBarris for excellent resume for great M!

[@pwnedshift1]

I've been reading about early film history and going through Melies work lately and this video is a great summary of his legacy. I'm truly surprised at how much I'm enjoying his films. I thought they'd be boring or cheesy or silly but they are incredibly charming, beautiful, downright delightful. They give me the same feeling as when I read fairy tales as a kid.

[@ThisisBarris]

I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for watching :) Really happy to see others find it as charming as I do

[@F8Lwrld]

This was absolutely beautiful to watch, thank you for paying such homage to an icon, a pioneer of cinema. Hugo is still one of my fav films of all time. Dreamers live forever!

[@ThisisBarris]

I'm glad you enjoyed the video. And yes, Hugo is a really sweet movie, especially the scenes involving Méliès. Learning about his story is just so inspiring and yet saddening. Thanks for watching and merde!

[@gramkrakrs92]

Yet another one of my inspirations and heroes having his work stolen by Edison. I'm so mad right now

[@ThisisBarris]

Yes, it's infuriating! It's just tragic to see such a talented man be abused and torn down like this... Thanks for watching and merde!

[@MusicalIrishgrl]

George Melies is one of my favorite directors of all time and this is a beautiful video about him.

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you! George Méliès is a real inspiration to me so I'm happy to see that other people love him. I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Merde!

[@reemrawi1502]

Every time I watch one of his movies, I end up disconnecting from this world. I cannot believe that a man like George Melleis ever existed. He was way ahead of his time. And he was out of this world. Thank you for such a beautiful narrative video.

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you, I'm always happy to see other people who love Méliès just as much as me. I'm glad my video made him justice. Definitely ahead of his time! Merde!

[@MedlifeCrisis]

This was so beautiful. I can see how much effort and love you put into this. Brilliant video.

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you Rohin! That means a lot coming from you. I hope you are all well. Merde!

[@ariadneschild8460]

I had the most wonderful dream of flying gold fish after watching this last night! Thank you Barris and Méliès!

[@alicedee2566]

There's no other actually in depth documentaries on him than this one. Great job. I feel like he's not thought of enough. He invented so many of the basics of special effects. He's a legend

[@moodydeb6814]

I enjoy silent films immensely, but Georges Méliès takes them to a whole new level. His early ones where he perfected his cinematic "tricks" are such fun to watch! I do agree that he was capable of developing other types of filming & effects. Maybe it was an "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" headset that kept him stuck. You're right - his genius has been forgotten...but we wouldn't have the cinema we have today without that genius. ❤

[@simple-commentator-not-rea7345]

Every country needs a channel like this. I'd love to see a channel by a heavily accented Polish guy (or lady, I'm not sexist) discuss some of the influential filmmakers in Poland, like Andrzej Wajda or Jerzy Hoffman

[@lortega70]

What an excellent biography of Georges Mèliés! Thank you very much!

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you Leonardo - I'm glad you enjoyed it. Merde!

[@JoshuaCraigStrain]

GREAT JOB - Your true passion for George , his work and Cinema itself comes through in this so well deserved tribute to this massively underated pioneering genius !!

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it and that my passion shows. Merde!

[@Edmonton-of2ec]

Mr. Barris, need I remind you of the 1989 film "Marquis" you reacted too? Oh yes, film is just.... *amazing*

[@ThisisBarris]

I stand by my words!

[@Wallyworld30]

Barris, this is by far your best video and I loved your others. I didn't know much of the of this history of this genius. Thanks for giving him some of the attention his life well deserves.

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you Marty. It means a lot to hear that from you because you've been an active subscriber for so long. I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed learning about him. Merde to you my friend!

[@MacEstelle]

Thank you for making this. Thank you for bringing him back to the public attention again with your documentary. Great work

[@ThisisBarris]

My pleasure. Méliès is really important to me so I was happy to make this and to help others learn about him, if only a few. Thanks for watching and merde!

[@bricktopmedic]

Thank you for the connecting of cinematic history. Audience's mustve been overhelmed in the early 20th century, much like myself when I discovered how much I dont know about France. Mercí!

[@ThisisBarris]

I'm glad you enjoyed it! And I hope my channel helps you learn more about France. Merde!

[@bricktopmedic]

@@ThisisBarris ...merci!

[@misterholst]

SO GOOD! Thank you, Barris, it's always really great to have a new video from you.

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you Tim! I'm glad you enjoyed it. I'll make sure to keep up the great video then. Merde!

[@Miakhano]

I like to re-watch from time to time 1939 movie "The wizard of OZ", thinking of it like of early film. It's interesting to know that the man who made really early films have died in old age before Oz was even released.

[@ThisisBarris]

I totally get what you mean! "Wizard of Oz" already seems so ancient, it's crazy to think that there was a full generation or two of directors before it. Thanks for watching and merde!

[@NotAnotherVlog]

I felt a sense of sadness during the middle of this video to think about how much hardship Georges Méliès had to endure but for so long his love for cinema didn't fade. My dream is to be a movie director/editor one day and his passion for cinema makes me motivated. He is definitely one of the most important people when it comes to the history of film and it makes me sad that he is not that well known and celebrated, as he should be. I felt the same with the Hugo movie too. It was a great movie and I loved the book version of it, but only after I realized Georges Méliès is the toy shop keeper. Then it was a lot more enjoyable when they started to focus on his character. I hope there will be more videos in this series! I really enjoyed this video!

[@ThisisBarris]

I also felt sadness when I made this video and still do when I watch it. It's just heartbreaking to see someone so creative and passionate get screwed over by life like that. I hope you become a movie director! Personally I hope to become a writer for TV/cinema. Thank you for watching, good luck with your dreams and as we say in France, merde!

[@NotAnotherVlog]

@@ThisisBarris Thank you and I wish you good luck too! You put together this video well and you seem to have a broad knowledge of things so I believe you would be a great writer for TV/cinema! :)

[@senthilvelan544]

My god. Made me tear up. Love you and thank you for this. Truly a blessing.

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you Senthil. It really means a lot to me. I'm glad other people share my love for Georges Méliès too.

[@CaskTheology]

Excellent video Barris! It's a real shame most of his work has been lost to history. Hearing that some of his movies were melted down to make shoes... tragic. But without him, cinema as we know it wouldn't be the same, and some of my favourite movies may never have been made.

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you Cask! I'm glad you enjoyed it. And yes it's a true shame that it has been the case but there is a lot of effort put into recovering and restoring his movies so thankfully they are still a few we get to enjoy, especially his greatest movies. Merde!

[@philRminiatures]

Absolument ravi de voir ces images, de très bons choix mon ami, je ne connaissais pas 'La conquête des pôles'...What an infomative and wonderful video my friend!😍😍

[@ThisisBarris]

Merci beaucoup Phil! Je suis ravi d'apprendre que tu es autant aimé la vidéo. Et merde à toi!

[@adelaidefinch6197]

I absolutely adore how passionate you are about the videos you create. Thank you so much for not only educating the community but also bringing a smile to the faces of many.

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you Adelaide, that means a lot to me. Méliès means a lot to me and I'm happy to learn that it brings to a face to others. Merde!

[@nazgullord3198]

I came to share in the love and appreciation for Georges Méliès, but was pleasantly surprised by the appreciation for LotR as well! The fall of Gandalf and the Balrog is the best opening to a movie I have ever seen.

[@calebrands4912]

My favorite movie directors of all time in no particular order. . Sergio Leone . Wes Anderson . Hayao Miyazaki . Mel Brooks . Georges Méliès I got into Georges Méliès last night and he is already one of my favorite if not my favorite director of all time. Watching his depiction of Joan of Arc, who is one of my childhood heroes was like watching pure magic and as someone who is part French, it makes me really proud of my family lineage.

[@ThisisBarris]

That's a wonderful selection of directors. Thank you for sharing. And yes, Georges Méliès makes me really proud of my French heritage as well. I'm glad to hear that we share a similar love for his work. Merde!

[@calebrands4912]

@@ThisisBarris There's also Akira Kurosawa. I didn't list him because I haven't seen a single one of his films yet, but if I had a crystal ball, I've no doubt that he would be one of my favorite directors.

[@ThisisBarris]

You definitely need to watch "7 samurais" and I strongly suggest "ran" as well.

[@calebrands4912]

@@ThisisBarris Been collecting his movies. Masterpieces!

[@AncientAccounts]

ooh out on my birthday too, been looking foward to this! as for movie directors im partial to wes anderson

[@aartadventure]

Agreed! Wes Anderson is a king of cinema!

[@ThisisBarris]

I definitely appreciate Wes Anderson and his aesthetic. Grand Budapest Hotela and Fantastic Mr. Fox are great movies. However, with each movie he pushes further into that aesthetic and I fear it would eventually become a parody of itself... Happy Birthday man!

[@trickyfingers594]

This is awesome. There are four losers that didn’t like it probably because they don’t know shit and aren’t true cinephiles. Sucks for them. Thank you for this mini doc!

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you! I really appreciate your comment. And nevermind the 4 downvotes, what matters is the hundreds that upvoted and appreciated the video. I'm glad you enjoyed and merde!

[@learningwithharry4996]

This needs more love.

[@bugragiritlioglu1174]

wonderful video! seeing méliès's hard work and your hard work made me cry.

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it! And yes, Méliès hard work, passion and mostly how he ended makes me very emotional - he's such an inspiration for me. Merde!

[@lrallifordstudio3401]

Well done. He would be proud 👏

[@codyt821]

Love deep dives into melies work. He truly created tangible magic that we can still marvel at to this day. His films are the equivalent of mainlining imagination. Its such a shame that so much of his films were destroyed or lost over time, and how much damage Edison did to his career. But the magic he created can never fully be destroyed, and he still inspires dreamers to this day, not to mention the lasting impact his work and style has left on the artform of film to this very day. Long live the dreamers. Now excuse me while i go watch Hugo.

[@its_me_vijay]

I am here after watching the beautifully presented movie HUGO LITTERALLY I LOVED IT

[@aartadventure]

Awesome intro! I remember watching the Balrog scene with an open mouth. And while it isn't my top cinema moment (I probably reserve that for when Ripley fights the alien Queen in Aliens...or the moment when the alien bursts out of the chest in Alien (or various scenes from the Aliens franchise), I can totally get while you love that moment!

[@ThisisBarris]

Okay, I will admit that Ellen Ripley fighting the Queen in Aliens was awesome - "Get away from her, you Bitch!" However, the Balrog scene, especially the cave and all, has such beautiful use of color, space, and music that it's just breathtaking to me. Thank you for watching Chris! Always happy to see you here. And always happy to watch your videos even if I don't always have the time to comment.

[@aartadventure]

@@ThisisBarris LOTR just popped up on NetFlix here, so I think it's a good time to re-watching it. Also great job covering the brillance of Georges Melies (and for reminding me yet again what a total douchebag Edison was).

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you Chris! Enjoy LOTR - make sure it's the director's cut haha

[@KGBeast.]

19:50 I disagree his movies are VERY thrilling and entretaining to watch even to this day, man this video is amazing

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you! Merde!

[@KGBeast.]

@@ThisisBarris ta merde de bienvenue

[@Hipstorian]

This is some absolutely incredible work! Must have taken you a fair bit of time to piece this together. As always, incredibly entertaining to watch, but also to watch with all the effects you bring into play! So much more to see here than during your average historical subject KZbin clip.

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you Hipstorian! I'm really glad you enjoyed it. It did take a bit of time but I love his stuff so much that it was worth it. I look forward to seeing more of your videos man. Merde!

[@starbury64]

Awesome and amazing. Is it possible that you could do videos on the French philosophers, monarchs, and the French colonial empire? That would be fascinating to learn.

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you, I really appreciate it! These are all definitely subjects I plan on doing (Marat is one of my upcoming video for example) although these videos take a long time to make so I'm a bit slow. Sorry...

[@jeffutigard861]

Merci beaucoups Barris... tres interessant et bon a vivre!!

[@ThisisBarris]

Merci!

[@michaelforthriller]

What a wonderful tribute!!! Excellent video about one of my biggest influencers.

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you Michael! I'm glad you enjoyed it. I really like your videos and can definitely see the influences of Méliès. Merde!

[@weeliano]

This is an absolutely magnificent documentary on the origins of special effects and the incredible work of Georges Méliès! Fantastic work, absolutely love it! This is required watching for students of special effects!

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you - that means a lot to me. Merde!

[@djgforce11]

The dude was way ahead of his time.

[@PlayCONtent]

OH YES the trip to the moons creator himself ! I went to a place where there was a temporary old fashioned arcade and there was a flick book station featuring shots from trip to the moon- films are much more enjoyable when you've had to turn a lever to watch them, all that work's paid off

[@ThisisBarris]

That does sound like a great way to watch it. I remember discovering Méliès when I was 10 at a museum - there was this huge paper-mâché moon with a rocket in its eye at the entrance and then there was the movie "A Trip to the Moon" and it just fascinated me. Considering how lazy I was back then, I think I would have never discovered Méliès if I needed to turn a lever to do so haha thank you for watching man!

[@riffcrescendo1740]

Méliès - Magical; unique: genius!

[@atanasgyurov2700]

Why is this channel not viral

[@ThisisBarris]

It's starting to grow! Thanks to the support of viewers like you so thank you Atanas! And merde!

[@TheStockwell]

Because specialised interests -like vintage wines, classical music, and silent cinema - don't appeal to everyone. To people who DO appreciate those things, they are here. Christopher Nolan and Mr. Bean are popular right now. A century from now, will they matter the way F.W. Murnau and Chaplin do? I'd rather be a member of a small, private group of sophisticated, elitist, articulate snobs than following a shallow, vapid KZbin channel with 3.2. million subscribers. ☺

[@iroka6749]

this was absolutely beautiful

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you :) merde!

[@MercenaryCamp]

Enjoyed a lot! Hope to see something else about the French cinema in the future. French impact in this art is huge indeed. Melies was a true artist. Glad to watch how the quality of your works improves with each piece. Great job, friend! P.S. Was especially happy to see the LoRT reference. The masterpiece of all time.

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you my friend! Happy to see you here. The quality of your videos keep improving too as it shows in your last trailer and I look forward to seeing the full video. And of course, LOTR is the greatest series in history!

[@pardontillinghast4989]

I hope you make a video on Max Linder. A real sad story there.

[@ThisisBarris]

That is a brilliant idea. Definitely added it to the list. Thank you for watching.

[@astephens1963]

In my humble opinion no one compares to Speilberg as a director simple because of the volume of quality films. But certainly John Ford, David Lean and Stanley Kubrick are all in a group for a close second. I do compartmentalize because I am a man . So I put foreign and writer directors in a separate category. And for that comes the hardest decision. Ingmar Bergman or Kurosawa? Damn. I can't even beging to compare. I guess the perfect movie has Chaplin as the producer, Speilberg as the director, Kurosawa as the screen writer and staring Daniel Day Lewis, Audrey Hepburn, James Cagney and Betty Davis. Of course I let Alfred Newman score it with Cedric Gobson as set director. And I put Conrad Hall behind the camera

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts! Merde!

[@umjackd]

This was a wonderful video. As someone interested in both history and filmmaking, this was great to learn about. Thank you.

[@ThisisBarris]

I'm glad you enjoyed it so much. I hope you enjoy my other videos too. Merde!

[@stephenwaters9781]

Really fantastic work! Thank you.

[@wintersbattleofbands1144]

Fabulous insight and tribute.

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you :) Merde!

[@rayogaro503]

God Bless You,.🎹🎬👍

[@partneanderthal2679]

Educational and beautifully done. Thank you. 😊

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank youuu :) merde!

[@b.d.8542]

Gorgeous film, Barris!!

[@farhaadyousefi]

thanks for the beautiful documentary..i always wondered why he hasn't get enough praised..

[@ThisisBarris]

My pleasure Farhaad. I'm glad you enjoyed it. And yes, I wonder why he isn't recognized as much. It's a real shame. Thank you for watching.

[@fincorrigan7139]

@@ThisisBarris It's pretty simple: He wasn't British or American, both nations with selfish egos who have a disturbing penchant for writing their own sequestered version of history

[@pokerface1476]

i don't really like movies,but your voice and writing is so great i had to watch this video ;) !

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you for watching! I hope this video made you like movies a bit more though :) merde to you!

[@gkspain1]

Fascinating, a real pioneer of the moves, all the best Garry

[@ThisisBarris]

Indeed! Thank you for watching Garry. I hope you enjoy my other videos too.

[@ThisisBarris]

Indeed! Thank you for watching Garry. I hope you enjoy my other videos too.

[@rbbonotto]

Very well done. I second the person who suggested you do a program on Max Linder. I don't there's much about French film of the 1910's/20's in any case (outside of one episode of 'Cinema Europe). In any case, than k you for this.

[@ThisisBarris]

Max Linder is definitely someone I want to discuss although I fear they might not be enough material to discuss (perhaps I can do a compilation of French actors). Thank you for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed the video! Merde!

[@rickyhunt4075]

Yea saying you like movies is like saying you like music most people like it but most people don't go deep into the art and make it a part of their lives. That's what makes a Cinephile or Audiophile.

[@rickyhunt4075]

Love a trip to the moon and it always reminds me of the Smashing Pumpkins.

[@ThisisBarris]

Yes, I heard that they made a video clip inspired by it but I haven't watch it yet. I'll make sure to do it now.

[@user-ld4qt6ci7b]

Hey! Please please please make a video on the transition from the Second Empire to the Third Republic! Love your content man, hope you make more!

[@ThisisBarris]

Hey Томас, thank you for watching! I definitely intend to but I want to go through these revolutions/events on a chronological way. But I'll definitely get to it! I'm glad you enjoy it - I'll make sure to keep making more and to keep improving. Merde to you!

[@youssefe5127]

@@ThisisBarris Hey man I love your channel keep up the good work. Your video quality and content is absolutely astonishing and professional !

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you Youssef! I really appreciate it.

[@riffcrescendo1740]

Magical; unique: genius!

[@mannexaustria7261]

Just done watching Hugo and search about Melies, good video man 👍

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it. Did you enjoy Hugo? The scenes with Georges Méliès are pretty great. Merde!

[@mannexaustria7261]

@@ThisisBarris yes sir , I actually watched it 10 times while searching about Melies life

[@Tintin824]

You are very good at this video making thing!

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you Anuraag! Makes me happy to hear that. I hope you enjoy my other videos too.

[@jaflischannel]

But if the audience ended up getting bored of his movies, then why didn't he change the ideas a bit? Like to make a movie where he asked his workers or the actual audience what they felt they wanted to watch? And why didn't he experiment with ways to display recorded sounds?

[@ThisisBarris]

I've also wondered it and other people have pointed it out. I think, once people are set in their old ways, it becomes really hard for them to transition, you know? The world had moved on, but not him... A lot of silent movie actors suffered the same faith once movies turned to sound, for example.

[@TheMajorCinephile]

Great video tributing the great Melies. Who are your other favorite French filmmakers?

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it :) Jean-Pierre Jeunet is quite great - Amélie obviously is a staple, but delicatessen is great too. And you? Merde!

[@vijayarya9528]

Thank you all very much .

[@bethbartlett5692]

This is an excellent short-doc. Truly well done. K - my 3rd *Barris!* Give me some Basque please! 🍀 I'm Irish American ...Basque - Irish 🍸 Cocktail"?"

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you Beth. I really appreciate it.

[@calebrands4912]

I miss you, pal.

[@ThisisBarris]

I miss you guys too - life has been so busy, but I'm working on coming back. Merde!

[@franciscomm7675]

Will you make a video about the 1848 french revolution?

[@ThisisBarris]

I definitely plan on it. I'm just going chronologically through all the revolutions so the next one will be about 1832 (and Victor Hugo) and the one after is 1848. I also have so many videos I want to do and so little time... I hope you can understand that. Thank you for watching.

[@franciscomm7675]

@@ThisisBarris i understand. So your next video will be about the june rebellion of 1832?

[@ThisisBarris]

No, sorry I wasn't clear. The next one in the "revolution series" will be about the june rebellion of 1832.

[@pardontillinghast4989]

If you need help with the 1848 revolutions then please refer to the highly informative video I made on the subject kzbin.info/www/bejne/bIDOn6VroL9pmJo

[@lonestar98]

Great video

[@ChezzyBorgah]

Hugo cabret is the book that made me know georges

[@janedoe5229]

I came here because I saw the movie Hugo, which I found to be to be visually interesting, but the plot was podding, and too to many unneccariy diversions. And people were rude just to advance the plot. But the parts about George Melies were fascinating. They could have just made a movie about him. However, I understand that to have an orphan boy living in the railway station and a mysterious automaton is a good plot device to draw children into enjoying the story about Georges Melies.

[@calebrands4912]

This is kind of off topic, but I find it fascinating that you consider the fall of the Balrog the greatest shot in cinema history because I've been revisiting The Lord of the Rings trilogy for the first time since I was a kid. Back then I didn't have the same appreciation for cinema as I do now, so I only saw them as entertaining blockbusters and a lot of the artistic aspects went over my head. Now that I have a huge passion for cinema and am watching the extended editions for the first time, I finally see them not only as the masterpieces they are, but possibly my favorite movies of all time. My favorite film of all time has changed before. It used to be One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Then it was The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, so it certainly can change again. But the fact that a bunch of people could pour their heart and soul into an 11 hour and 22 minute epic and make it a masterpiece that's faithful to the source material is simply amazing. Georges Méliès, Akira Kurosawa, Sergio Leone and many directors walked so others like Peter Jackson could run and foward the artforn of cinema. At least those are my thoughts.

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts! I wouldn't call LOTR my favourite movie (definitely favourite trilogy though), but I can see why it would be yours. They're a true masterpiece imo. Merde!

[@Catholic_R0se]

thank you for the history lesson. 22:32 hehe, funny.

[@ThisisBarris]

My pleasure! I hope you learned a lot. Merde!

[@Catholic_R0se]

@@ThisisBarris I learned a lot of Merde française from you.

[@adam5]

This is so informative thank you !

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you Adam! I'm glad you found it informative. Thanks for watching and merde!

[@DonTitoNYC]

Was there a movie that featured him? I'm familiar with it.

[@PlayCONtent]

Martin Scorsese's Hugo references him A LOT , that might be what you're thinking of?

[@DonTitoNYC]

@@PlayCONtent Ouï! Yes!

[@theedamz5750]

Jack and the cuckoo clock heart

[@timsmythfilmsandanimations]

I do not believe he used split screens, the shot you show while you describe that, the one from Four Troublesome Heads is just a multi-exposure shot. He basically did all his shots as double exposures, unless you have a shot to show that I have never seen.

[@Wallyworld30]

In Quentin Tarantino's Inglorious Bastards they literally used a French Theater to kill Hitler. The opening scene in that movie is my favorite shot in movie history. The dairy farmer working and in the distance we see a Nazi vehicle approaching ominously.

[@ThisisBarris]

Yes that opening scene was definitely a masterpiece. A shame for me that the rest of movie didn't hold up to it in my opinion...

[@Wallyworld30]

@@ThisisBarris I agree 100%. The Opening scene was magic and then kind of meh after that.

[@jackbeers4020]

I didn't realize you were Canadian until the end.

[@AlcoTube]

Came here after watching the movie Hugo

[@themr.flyingjessicagamein9158]

Wow ❤️

[@zard6538]

This isn't Jehanne D'alcy in 3:21 The lady in that photo is Theda Bara.

[@ThisisBarris]

Good catch, you're absolutely right! Embarrassing mistake tbh. Thanks for the heads up. I'll make sure to add a note in the description. I hope you enjoyed the video nevertheless - merde!

[@HIDE-oj6ps]

Oh wow

[@basstrapremix3032]

Good

[@progKansas]

A Trip to the Moon was featured in the last episode of "From the Earth to the Moon".

[@ThisisBarris]

Yes, I was told about that but I have yet to watch it. I'll check it out soon. Thanks for watching and merde!

[@paulaharrisbaca4851]

Funny how that time period also saw HG Welles and his very dark futuristic science fiction. Even then great writers and artists were projecting forward what they saw as our future. I recall reading lots of Jules Verne in my 8th grade English class (funny that the novel was French, I didn't think about that until now) I guess creative intelligent humans from any era see a dark future based on the behavior of the time. I don't know if they envisaged how dark it could get once you let governments and organizations start trying to plan things instead of allowing people freedom as long as it didn't do any harm overall...then you have to stop them....sometimes you have to have a global war to stop it....😥🤫🤧😷🤨😐😑😵😵‍💫 Or a damn panic to lock everyone down.....

[@rohypnol1613]

really waow!

[@ChupeTTe]

6:28 Wow is that emperor Ming in 1900?

[@ThisisBarris]

hahahha good one!

[@AuxaneST]

Can you make one on Alice Guy(-Blaché) please who was a pioneer before him too?...

[@Xorfic]

One of the greatest biographical videos that I found on KZbin. I wonder how can few morons dislike it. Are any of Edison’s minions still in practice... We want more. Great job. Applauds!

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you! That means a lot to me. And yes, Thomas Edison seems to be a despicable man. I will keep making them! Merde!

[@elchoya8432]

3:22,thats THEDA BARA

[@aleksapetrovic6519]

I knew Edison was asshole who valued no one, but holy shit this is too much!

[@ThisisBarris]

Yes, the more I learn, the more I realise how despicable he was. Thanks for watching Aleksa and merde!

[@aleksapetrovic6519]

@@ThisisBarris Qui est plus pire? Edison ou les Parisiens?

[@ThisisBarris]

Un Edison Parisien