Hugo follows the story of orphaned Hugo who lives in the walls of a train station, and is tasked with maintaining the station’s clocks. His mostly solitary life revolves around the broken automaton that his father left to him and that he is determined to fix. Hugo’s life changes when he meets Isabelle and her godfather Papa Georges, who turns out to be more than just a toy merchant. Nominated for a staggering 11 Academy Awards, including a nomination for Martin Scorsese for Best Director, and taking home five, Hugo is a one-of-a-kind film that can only be appreciated upon viewing.
While Hugo was considered a box-office flop, it is universally acclaimed as a masterpiece and has the accolades to prove it. With big names like Ben Kingsley, Jude Law and Sacha Baron Cohen starring in the film, Hugo is an all-around work of art from Scorsese. Scorsese recreates the silent films of Georges Méliès in a unique and accurate way that represents exactly what the films of that era looked like and how the audiences reacted to those films. Hugo is highly underrated by the public and is deserving of more attention. Indeed, here’s what makes Hugo one of the best Martin Scorsese films of all time.
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Unique Use of 3D Animation
3D films have seen a resurgence in popularity, particularly around the time that Hugo was released. Scorsese’s choice to release the film in 3D was a brave decision as Hugo was the first 3D film Scorsese ever made, but he did not disappoint. The amazing CGI was only enhanced by the 3D version of the film, without overpowering the plot in any way (as many 3D films do by placing too great an emphasis on the special effects rather than the story). Scorsese even received praise from renowned director James Cameron, stating that the 3D used in Hugo was even better than Cameron’s own works, including the ever-popular Avatar. The use of 3D was not just an after-thought for Scorsese as he seamlessly integrated it into the film.
Appropriate for All Ages
While the film may cover many aspects of film history and movie-making, the character of Hugo makes the film appeal to children. Hugo’s solitary life is sad, but that doesn’t stop Hugo from living his life. While the adults enjoy the plot and story of Georges Méliès, the children watch Hugo and immerse themselves in the phenomenal aesthetics of the film and sympathize with the lonely Hugo, perhaps seeing a friend in him. Scorsese is a master of his craft, but making a film about silent films that appeals to even the youngest of audiences is not an easy task. Also: with Scorsese’s filmography, including violent flicks like Goodfellas and Taxi Driver, a family-friendly film like Hugo doesn’t seem like something he would excel in. However, like any great filmmaker, Scorsese rose to the occasion and provided a heart-warming, entertaining film for families to watch together.
Exploration of Film History
Hugo has special appeal to cinephiles as the content revolves around real-life magician, illusionist, experimenter and filmmaker Georges Méliès, who pioneered many techniques to get film where it is today. His most known film to date is Le Voyage dans la Lune or A Trip to the Moon which uses many techniques to give the illusion of a trip on a rocket to the moon until it famously crashes into the moon’s face. Hugo tells the true story of the silent film era: how films were made, how difficult they were to make, but also adding the magic of the film industry. Scorsese’s recreations of many of the Georges Méliès films are made with elaborate look-alike sets and makeup to tell magical tales on screen. Hugo explores every aspect of filmmaking from lighting to editing, and it also tells the sad truth of what happened to many of the films of that era and why they were lost.
Its Message About the Importance of Preservation
It is said that less than 20% of the films from the silent film era remain, as most were lost to time and unable to be restored due to improper care. The films that remain from this era have been digitized for preservation. Hugo explores the lack of interest in preserving the art created by Méliès. Scorsese’s film sends a message overall about the importance of preserving the past, rather than simply wishing to move forward, with special emphasis on the arts in order to appreciate where we came from and to help us grow and evolve. Méliès reveals the sad truth of what happened to most of his films and why he stopped making films altogether: he sold his film negatives to be melted down into raw materials. This is a great loss to the creative community as those films could have been studied and brought the film industry to new heights. The bottom line: preservation is key to growth and evolution.
Hugo is Close to Scorsese’s Heart
Hugo is a movie about movies. Martin Scorsese is a director with a true passion for filmmaking, putting his all into every piece of work he produces. Making a film about films is the ultimate happiness for any cinephile. For Scorsese, it gave him the opportunity to go deeper into the history of film and share the feelings that these films bring with the public. Hugo is special in many ways, but in one way it is different from every one of Scorsese’s films is that it is close to Scorsese’s heart, sharing his personal feelings about film with the audience. As a result, he gets his point across in an aesthetically pleasing and heart-warming film that speaks to the audience in an intimate way that none of his films ever have.
