Le voyage de Gulliver à Lilliput et chez les géants

This short movie, is a great technical masterpiece by a legendary master of Cinema. The film is loosely based on Jonathan Swift's classic (as only mentions Gulliver's first encounters with Lilliputians and the Giants), nor has any thematic statements about the original story; but is an excellent example of Georges Méliès' magnificent technical abilities, which are amazing for us in the 21st century as much as for people in 120 years ago. Méliès is an eternal master of Cinema.

This version of "Gulliver's Travels" by Georges Méliès lasts only four minutes long...which isn't unusual for 1902. However, Jonathan Swift's novel is quite long and the only way to make it in four minutes is to pretty much skip all the plot! So, there's no context or explanation for anything! It's a shame, as technically it's a lovely film for its day...but only showing a few disparate pieces of the book really does the story a huge disservice.

Worth seeing if you are a huge Georges Méliès fan, otherwise he's simply done much better films that I suggest you try first.

Since Gulliver's Travels is a massive book, to try to even approach it in 4 minutes is utterly absurd. But Melies does really well with Gulliver as a big man and a little man. The settings are marvelous and the superimposing of Gulliver, especially in Lilliput is very good. A couple things. We who read the book know how he put out that fire. Right? I was interested why the title character was portrayed as so old. He was pretty young when he set out on his journey, and still a middle aged man as he approached him. I wonder why Melies saw him this way.

Georges Melies' adaptation of Jonathan Swift's "Gulliver's Travels" is most distinguished, today, for being a color film of the classic story. Color was rare in 1902 (and many years after) as non-tinted color has to be hand painted on the film; this was an arduous task. Also notable is the film's short running time of approximately five minutes. Much of the original work is not covered, but viewers were expected to be familiar with the story, and enjoy the filmed highlights. There are a couple of scenes missing; according to contemporary reports, Gulliver's shipwreck was certainly included. You can do a lot in a few minutes, as Mr. Melies includes a re-make of his own "Une partie de cartes" (1896), which already looked like something previously covered by the Lumiere Brothers.

***** Gulliver's Travels (1902) Georges Melies ~ Georges Melies

Gulliver's Travels Among the Lilliputians and the Giants (1902)

*** (out of 4)

aka La Voyage de Gulliver a Lilliput et chez les geants

The famous story is partially retold here by director Melies in a pretty impressive film. We see Culliver getting along in a town with the small people but soon dangers lurks them all. This is a very impressive little film from the director as it manages to be quite magical in its short four plus minute running time. The entire film is hand colored, which gives it more of a fantasy feel. The movie runs along at a good speed and the special effects are very well done and hold up quite well. The magical cage that Gulliver picks up and sits on the table is one of the highlights. If you look quick at the start of the film you can see a sea, which appears to be the same set from A Trip to the Moon.