Hard Work Conquers All: A Trip to the Moon Reaction Paper

Silent films always amaze me.  Yes, it’s hard to make films, but it's harder to create silent films. It’s because you need to make sure that the audience will understand the message of the film you are showing to them. Though silent films tend to be exaggerated, it is still a good thing. Exaggeration is a must since dialogues are not allowed, so naturally, actors must exaggerate all their actions for the viewers to understand.

Anyway, the film A Trip to the Moon was a good one. Aside from being a silent film, the story line was also great. It showed a great deal of creativity especially when the heavenly bodies were shown as human beings too. It’s quite comical too, seeing the Big Dipper with a face and Saturn leaning out of a window in his ringed planet. There is really no wonder why it was internationally popular during its time.

Aside from that, the film also showcased certain values, like bravery and hard work. Bravery in the sense that the other five astronomers were brave enough to risk their lives just to go to the moon. Also, the film showed that everything is possible with hard work. During that time, no matter how impossible it was to get to the moon, the astronomers’ hard work to create a space capsule proved that indeed, hard work conquers all.

Bea Cristine T. Ledesma

2013-64643

Reaction Paper: Trip to the Moon

by Edissy Claudine T. Ramos

2009-33319

I always have enjoyed Silent Films (Hello Charlie Chaplin and his mustache!) and the film Trip to the Moon is a must-watch. If I watched it on its first screening back in the 1900s, I would still be fascinated and probably more amazed and impressed.

Some might say the actors were exaggerating scenes, but I dont care. Of course, they have to exaggerate their actions and movements so that the audience can understand the story more clearly and easily since its a silent film. They had to give color to the characters, and clearly they did a good job. They even personified the moon which clearly reflected the cartoonish atmosphere of the film.

The instrumentals were really good and it set a really interesting tune to the story. Plot-wise, I find it amazing how they explored science when no other earlier films did.

Today, we might find their thoughts crazy, their idea of rocketing to the moon absurd, or their ideas on the things they’ll find in the moon funny.

Overall, I give it my two thumbs up. They really exerted much effort colorizing each frames in the film. You can also see how they’ve tried to showcase science and the need to advance it, in their own creative interpretation.

A Trip to the Moon Reaction Paper

               If I’m just a regular girl present in the first screening of the film, which is in 1902, I would be so amazed of the effects they had in the film. The technology of moving pictures were just starting during that time, and seeing something so futuristic, with many visual effects, will make me think that this movie is really great and amazing and I would for sure will give it a big thumbs up. There is also a colored version of the film where Melies and his crew carefully colored the rolls of film, one by one. Since all the films then were black and white, I will be delighted to see a colored film. Melies really took a great effort in making the film. They had a studio and a lot of props in order to make it look futuristic. If I’m also watching it during 1902, I would be more imaginative and would really wonder if it will be possible to set foot on the moon, if there are aliens, if there are other living things outside earth, etc. As said, the film is one of the most technically innovative films during that time. But if I’m a scientist during that time, and I was given the chance to watch it on the first screening, surely, I will find the story of the movie very illogical. I will see it as a movie that ridicules science and astronomers. But I will find the production and cinematography a big leap in the technology of film-making.

Pauline de Leon

2011-44571

A Century Back, A Century Later: A Reaction Paper on "A Trip to the Moon"

Le Voyage dans La Lune, or simply A Trip to the Moon, is a 1902 short French silent film, popularly known to be one of the earliest films ever made. It depicts the adventure of a group of astronomers as they launch in a metal spaceship shot off by a cannon to the moon, further telling of their discovery of life in the celestial body and then finally their falling back to Earth.

In today's context such a story might seem quite fantastical and may even be perceived as a film that took a comedic and sarcastic stand on the idea of traveling to the moon and what or who may be uncovered there. When put in the technology and reality we have today, we may have the opinion that what is being shown is a comedy, is so funny because it is just simply so far of the truth. But although all these might be true, we have to take note that this film was created in a completely different time; a time that having a man on the moon just seems to be such an impossible feat and ideas about whatever is out there are just ideas of fiction.

All of this being said, if I were to go back to 1902, see the movie upon its release and remove all thoughts of present-day technology in mind, I'd have a completely different, in fact probably opposite, opinion. It would've probably seemed to be a futuristic film, a fictional film depicting what could be. Having the film itself been possible, the fact that there were now moving pictures would've already been an impressive leap in technology for me. For it to show more possibilities of future technology is just a plus. The film might also as well simply serve as an inspiration for inventors and scientists on their journey in literally reaching for the stars.

What humanity has achieved in the past century has certainly been quite a feat. Today, we see space flight as something of fact, something that already happened, in comparison to 1902 when it was just possible in the imagination, in works of fiction. It is certainly one very impressive leap of achievement and just like if we were in 1902 today, we could only simply imagine what we'd have achieved and where humanity could possibly be another century onwards.

Audrey Anne A. Arocha

2012-51626

Leaving on a Capsule

                The film Trip to the Moon is a silent film aired on 1902 in France. It is about scientists who planned to have a trip to the moon using a capsule. They eventually got on the moon. While they were wandering around, they saw some aliens and fought them. After some time, they decided to go back to earth. And the people welcomed them like heroes.

                If I were to watch this film on its first screening, I would first feel curious on how they would re-enact the whole thing. I must say that it is really not believable watching it in the year 2014, but it would give a slight idea to the people in the past on how trips to the moon are basically made. The background music and the comedic acting of the artists helped to not make the film boring.

                It is certainly safe to say that techniques on creating movies have leveled up in the most imaginable way. Comparing the means and ideas before on what we are having right now makes me appreciate more our technology today.

De Jesus, Carmela Gabrielle D.

2013 - 55245

A Trip to the Moon Reaction Paper

A Trip to the Moon is a 1902 silent film that revolves around the plot of going to the moon. In the film, a group of astronomers aspired to go to the moon with their newly invented space capsule.

If I were present at the first day of the screening of this film, I'd be utterly amazed. Considering I was a 1902 woman, with no knowledge of the present-day technology. This would be a great concept, for something like going to the moon could only happen in my dreams. I would've enjoyed the movie since it would give me something to aspire for and hope that one day this could come true. I would've also enjoyed the fact that it was a silent film. With silent films, though you have a general plot that everyone can understand, it also becomes sort of interactive. This is because it allows the viewers to put their own meanings to certain gestures and scenes.

On the other hand, if I were present at the first day of the screening with knowledge of the present-day technology, I'd probably first laugh at it for a bit because it would seem like everyday news for me. But after a while, it would make me realize how far we have come. Imagine that a century ago, going to the moon was inconceivable by the human mind, but now it just seems like everyday news. We have really progressed as an entire world, and the comparison between this movie and the movies we have now is just proof of such.

Mayumi Katrina B. Rix

2013-14322

A Trip to the Moon

A Trip to the Moon (Voyage dans la Lune) is a French silent film by Georges Melies. It was first aired on 1902. It is about a group of astronomers who, after creating a bullet-shaped space capsule and a huge cannon to launch it to space, decided to go to an adventurous trip to the moon.

If I were present during the first screening of the film in 1902, I would be really impressed. I think I would really like the movie even if it was silent, because you could still understand what the movie is all about. I also think that I would like the plot, because aside from being entertaining, it was amazing that they could think of a plot for a science-fiction movie that would be easily understood by people, considering that not everyone was aware of the (possible) advancements of science at the time. I also would like how they managed to make the film adventurous and interesting.

All in all, I would say that the movie may not be that much compared to the movies created today, but it was definitely something back then.



Camille Anne C. Barbosa
2013-01010

Trip to the Moon (Reaction Paper)

The film, Trip to the Moon, is a 1902 French silent film directed by Georges Méliès. It was said that it is the world’s first Sci-film. If I would be on the first screening of the movie, which is I think 100 years ago, I would definitely be interested watching it. If I would be a person living during the time it was released, knowing that film and cinema is not that improved and developed that time, I think I would also like this film. Well, for a film done during that time, it is quite impressive on how they could finish it well. Some historians as what I have read from an article said that it is “one of the most technically innovative films up until that time.” I could say that it is purely imaginative and creative. They did a good job on having those artists who act in the film and their costumes also. I am wondering where they could have got those costumes. The story is also organized and there is a consistent flow of the tale. There is a clear transition between acts.  They also made it somewhat entertaining and put a sense of humor. Even though science is not that well developed that time, they make effort on putting significant facts in the film, making it somewhat informative. Having things like the astronomers, the space capsule shaped as a bullet and the Selenites made the movie interesting.

Well of course I also do have some critiques about the film. One thing is that, it is just like a series of photographs put into animation. I know it is a silent film but they could make it more lively and interactive. Another one is that I could not completely understand what the film wants to say. The movie has a shot of course though not in the modern way stories were told but it they should have a better way on how they could present the message of the story to the viewers. 

Kimberly Pacle

2013-02319

Reaction paper: A Trip to the Moon

                A Trip to the Moon is a 1902 French silent film. It is about a group of astronomers discussed and agreed on how to travel to the moon. They build a space capsule shaped like a bullet and landed safely on the moon. They faced and captured Selenites, alien inhabitant of the moon, and went back to the Earth.

                Movies of today have really gone into technological advances. It would be easy to make all those special effects as Computer-generated imagery or CGI. But for the film, I can say that it has poor cinematography because it is an old film. But if I were present in the first screening of the film, I would first comment on the technicality of the film, especially considering their limited technology. At that time, a colored film would be very surprising. And the fact that each shot was painted by hand is even more surprising. Its visuals were very imaginative because of the stage and camera tricks that made the film interesting and fascinating.

                Apart from the technicality of the film, the story itself would catch my attention if I were present at that time. I would be thinking that is it really possible to voyage to the moon and I would be thinking that the film is just a science fiction.

                Regardless of the time period, I can say that the film is very enjoyable and mind-blowing. It was very entertaining because it was loaded of creative ideas both in the story and in the way it was made. 

Regina Alyssa L. Bargola

2013 - 68055

Trip to the Moon?

Technology has its way of improving as years go by. The rapid development of new inventions has affected the method things are done or how it is presented to us. As time goes by the old devices were replaced with advanced gadgets. The era of handheld transceiver (more known to be as a walkie-talkie), typewriters and family computers is now replaced with an epoch of smartphones, laptops and tablets. Innovations like these do not only take place on the daily apparatuses that we use but even on the field of arts and mass communication.

A very good example is the way films are being done today than as it was before. At present we have the technology of animating objects using the power of computer. With this any visual effect that we can think of can be made possible. As for the part of the film production team, it is somehow easier for them to produce the movie with having less effort in manually drawing or painting each frame of their animated sequence.

The movie “Trip to the Moon” is one of those films that could be considered as vintage. It’s all about a group of men who traveled to the moon by being shot in a capsule from a giant cannon. They were captured by moon-men, escaped, and returned to the earth. It was created on the year 1902. Imagining how limited the technology the people only had before I must say that they really put a great effort in creating such film. The movie is in complete black and white but some says that it was already restored and was given color. The movie was purposely shown to our class in black and white which is somehow new to most us since present time movies are very much filled with vibrant colors. There were also no dialogues in the movie. The only audio that you can hear is the background music that runs for the entire film which sets the mood or emotion being portrayed in each scene. The graphics were not that clear and crisp. However, the details on each element of the movie were very precise and well created.

Improvement never ends. Technology will always continue to have advancement in terms of efficiency and quality. Comparing the way the movie “Trip to the Moon” was done to how present films are, we can say that there might come a time when movies like Cathcing Fire, Frozen or The Hobbit would be considered  to be vintage also because of the new and more advanced way of film making technology that could be available in the future.

Dela Cruz, Jeff Denver F.
2013-21915