Après le bal

1897. The very first nude scene ever filmed came out in that year, presented in this Méliès classic. Some call it, the first adult movie ever made. I wonder if there were outcries or any kind of negative reaction, censorship or something when of its release, there isn't much that can be found about it.

Here, more than a hundred years later it seems that cinema haven't evolved in terms of how nudity is presented and viewed by general public. Sure, nudity scenes are far more present and far more visible than what can be seen in "Après Le Bal" ("After the Ball"), sometimes showed as an art, other times merely exploitative, but it's always an issue that brings controversy, to some. And Méliès film is a perfect example that illustrates that a nude scene, actors naked on screen, shouldn't be a matter of negative discussions. They must be appreciated, seen in the same light as we see ourselves in our daily routine as we do, it's our body and there's nothing wrong with it.

The movie: a maid prepares the bath for his lady boss, who undresses and enters in a tin tub while the servant washes her. A simple action in the 1800's, a very natural thing. The cleverness comes from the way it was filmed, a behind perspective rather than frontal exposures, perhaps the main reason why this film escaped from harsh criticism.

Georges Méliès was a genius. He could take us to the moon, present devils and angels, wonderful magicians, men with floating heads and give us the human body as it is. That must have been a dazzling magic trick to many in the audience back in the day. 9/10

This is pretty funny. It's very short -- hardly more than a minute -- but entertaining in its own self-conscious way. A middle-aged woman shaped like a bottle of chianti walks into a room and, with the help of a maid, removes all of her clothes and takes a bath in what looks like black sand. The set is a clumsily painted attempt at nouveau art.

The woman never turns towards the camera after doffing her many garments but there's an untempting look at her naked behind, resembling a matched set of butcher block tables, before the maid drapes her in a large towel. Before they leave, the maid turns to look at the camera and giggles. Good old Méliès. Leave it to him to do something so silly that you get a kick out of watching it.

Oh yes, this was so exciting to me, to see her butt!!! I mean I'd been waiting for such a long time to see her naked and then all of a sudden before I knew it she turned around and I could see it: another dream which came true. Thank you, prostitutes of the old age. I mean, she must be lying in her grave by now, but thanks to the invention of the movie system her past body still knows how to excite men! That's like watching a picture of the breasts of Marilyn Monroe: very superb.

I was very surprised to learn today that the first mainstream film featuring nudity was done by the great Georges Méliès! What makes it even more interesting is that after making this movie, the director married the woman who exposed herself to the camera!

The plot is practically non-existent...which is not unusual for 1897. A woman is going to take a bath and her servant helps her undress and pours water over her. All you see is the naked lady from behind...but I am sure audiences of the day would have been scandalized....especially here in the States where I wonder if it was ever shown.

If you are curious, the film is on YouTube...but it is not very salacious and it's very short as well.

'After the Ball' is nothing spectacular of a movie. While it's one minute running time we can witness a servant helping to undress another woman before the bathing. Then the servant pours woman over with a water (that seems like an ash, but actually it is colored water, because Melies thought that regular water mightn't show on the film), and then helps to dry her.

I guess it might get some men's blood boiling while thinking about two women at the same room. But no, don't get your hopes very high. It's not a porno, not even very erotic.

'After the Ball' could also be called first movie that was made just because to be edgy, shocking, to offend some sort of people. Maybe Melies wanted to make a film for the sake of provoking. Here writer couldn't say, because he himself lacks more knowledge about that particular film by the early auteur.