A Message from Mars

The original Charles Hawtrey recreated his stage success in this fanciful piece of what would today be called science fiction in which - in a fashion reminiscent of Ebenezer Scrooge - he receives a visitation to persuade him to mend his selfish ways.

In this telling the meanie answers to the name of 'Horace' - first seen carefully avoiding eye contact with the lower orders - while the Martians look on in disapproval, and decide to send a messenger to make him change his ways.

Followed by the messenger - presumably an invisible one, since none of the other Earthlings ever seem to notice him - Horace initially grudgingly complies by giving a coin to a flower seller, before going on to demonstrate that he's truly a changed character by (SPOILER COMING:) rescuing a child from a burning building.

Meanwhile back on Mars all this has been viewed with approval by the assembled Martians on a big glass globe, and the messenger is rewarded by being restored to all his former Martian finery. The End.

Ramiel, a native of Mars, is banished to Earth for some unspecified violation of the laws of his society. He is informed that he will only be permitted to return to his native planet when he has fulfilled his mission, which is to redeem the most selfish man on Earth. This turns out to be Horace Parker, a wealthy middle-aged Londoner. Horace is not a miser, as some have called him, if by "miser" is meant a man who would rather hoard his money than spend it. His luxurious home and elegant clothing show that he is quite happy to spend on himself. He refuses, however, to spend money on anyone else and treats the poor with contempt. His selfishness has led his beautiful young fiancée Minnie to call off their engagement, but he seems unconcerned.

Some descriptions of the film call Horace a young man, although this is inaccurate as he is played by Charles Hawtrey, who was 55 at the time. This is not, of course, the actor of the same name who found fame in the "Carry On" comedies. The younger man, whose real name was George Hartree, changed it to "Charles Hawtrey" in the hope that people would think he was the son of the original Charles Hawtree, who was a well-known figure on the British stage during the early twentieth century; in reality the two were not related.

"A Message from Mars" has been called the first British science fiction film, but it is not really science fiction in the sense that we would understand the term. It is really a traditional religious morality tale, semi-secularised by making Horace's saviour a visitor from another planet rather than, say, an angel. Even so his name, Ramiel, is that of an angel mentioned in the Apocrypha. As others have pointed out, the plot is similar to that of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol".

Like virtually all films from the 1910s, this one was shot in monochrome, but in this case that word does not necessarily equate to "black-and-white" because different scenes were tinted in different colours, as was sometimes done during the silent era. (Alfred Hitchcock was to use this device in some of his early films such as "Downhill" and "The Lodger"). Here the Martian scenes are tinted in a neutral brown, whereas on Earth exterior scenes are a chilly blue, stressing the cold and bleakness of the streets (the action takes place in winter) and the interior ones a warm orange-brown, stressing the warmth and comfort of Horace's home. A house fire plays an important part in the action, and the relevant scenes are tinted a vivid red.

One strange feature of the modern restored version is that a soundtrack has been added- there is no dialogue, but there is a musical score and sound effects, some of which seem inappropriate, especially the sound of traffic whistling by which we hear every time the action moves outside onto a London street. Someone appears to have forgotten that there was little motorised traffic in 1913, and what vehicles there were moved much more slowly than modern ones, so they certainly would not have made the sound we hear. Mars must be a very windy place- all the Martian scenes take place indoors, but we can always hear the wind howling outside.

Trying to evaluate a film like "A Message from Mars" is a difficult task because it is so different from modern films. Indeed, it is in many ways different from later silent films such as "Downhill", "The Lodger" or Anthony Asquith's "A Cottage on Dartmoor", all of which date from the late twenties. By this later period techniques such as the close-up had been developed, which allowed actors to display emotion by using facial expressions. In 1913 cinematic technique was in its infancy, and there are no close-ups in "A Message from Mars". All scenes are filmed from a distance, and the only way the actors have to show emotion is a series of hand and arm gestures, which is not particularly effective. It is perhaps not surprising that the scene in which Minnie ends her engagement is so uninvolving. Films like this are of great historic importance, but it is difficult for the modern viewer to appreciate them. 6/10.

This is a restored version of A Message from Mars. The first full length British silent movie.

It is also a science fiction movie but in the end it is less to do with Martians and more to do with A Christmas Carol.

A Martian is exiled on Earth for some undisclosed crime. His only way back is to reform a selfish man.

That selfish man is Horace Parker (Charles Hawtrey) who has been jilted his fiancée Minnie (Crissie Bell.)

The Martian turns him into a vagrant so he can learn the error of his ways as he has to rely on other down and outs.

The lead actor is a tad too old for the role and it does feel like a stage play with some special effects. It does have historical value more than merit in the film itself.

Ramiel (E. Holman Clark), a Martian law-breaker, is sentenced to travel to Earth where he is to "redeem the most selfish of mortals" (Horace Parker, played by Sir Charles Hawtrey). He does so by forcing Parker to experience life as a tramp, during which the wealthy but thoughtless man realizes the value of friendship and kindness. While often cited as Britain's first full-length science-fiction film, 'The Message from Mars' is only nominally science fiction. The 'Martians' could have just as easily been a group of angels (they refer to Earthlings as 'mortals' and "Ramiel" is the name of an archangel in the apocryphal Book of Enoch) and there is no Martian 'technology' contributing to the story (Ramiel simply appears and disappears at will). The film is very slow moving and stagy (not surprising considering its provenance). The acting is typical of the era: lots of exaggerated gestures and posturing (po-faced Ramiel spends most of his time on Earth crossing his arms and frowning in disapproval). The film does mix indoor and outdoor filming and the recently released BFI edition includes the original colour tinting. There are a number of routine substitution splices but the only really interesting 'special effect' is the 'shaking' that Ramiel gives an initially belligerent Parker. The film is often compared to "A Christmas Carol" but unlike Dickens' complex story, Parker needs only to briefly experience life as indigent person to find enlightenment. Hawtrey, who had played Parker in the 1899 stage play is too old for the role of the suitor who thoughtlessly jilts his girlfriend Minnie (he is 55 years old to ingénue Crissie Bell's 23 years). The restored BBC version was scored by Matthew Herbert, and the minimalist machine-music is often out of place and dull. At about 60 minutes in length, 'The Message from Mars' is watchable but will likely only be on any real interest to film historians or to fans of the genre.

Others have described this movie as a scientifictional version of Dickens' A CHRISTMAS CAROL, and that's not a bad tag. On Mars, where everyone wears Medieval garb and a big ankh, E. Holman Clark has committed some crime. For his punishment, he has his ankh taken away and must redeem Charles Hawtrey.

This is not the Charles Hawtrey of the CARRY ON films, but a stout, well-to-do man who wants to stay home and read the paper when his fiancee, Crissie Bell wants to go to a dance. After she breaks their engagement and he settles in, a man comes with a note asking if Hawtrey can do something for him. The answer is apparently no. After this, Martian Clark pops in using standard camera tricks, and tries to redeem Earthling Hawtrey by tormenting him.

It is based on a play by Richard Ganthony from 1899 and this is believed to be the earliest British sf feature -- make of those distinctions what you will. I found the hour-long restoration a bit abrupt, but well carried out, the story well acted and the print quite watchable; doubtless the tinting helped. I am always glad to see any early movie restored, and to see one, like this, that is quite watchable on its own terms is a pleasure.

What I found distinctly not a pleasure is the sound track that the BFI allowed it to be saddled with by Matthew Herbert, credited here as "Sound Designer." I have heard Mr. Herbert's work previously on the Best Foreign Oscar-winning UNA MUJER FANTASTICA, and he is certainly competent in that. For this movie, his sound design sounds as if part of it has been lifted from the 1960s version of DOCTOR WHO; the music, including dance music, is something I can only describe as electro-junkyard Reggae; and his idea of what an Edwardian London Street sounds like on a clear, clean evening, is that of the Indianapolis Speedway on a slushy afternoon. Other sound effects are equally over-the-top.

Like many a contemporary musical artist brought in to compose for a silent movie, Mr.Herbert seems to think that there are silent movie fans who will watch this regardless, so he needs to get in the kids who wouldn't watch it without the weird and ugly music. The result, I fear, will be something that will please no one but Mr. Herbert. People like me, who enjoy silent movies, will be rude about it, and the kids won't come to see this movie anyway. Not until they have gone to a lot of the more easily accessible silents. At that point, they will, at best, be puzzled.