True Colors

It didn't come as a shock that the film version of "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" was shown one year after the paperback edition was released. Brian Selznick's book was acclaimed after the hardcover edition came out in January 30, 2007. The book is 526 pages long, with 287 pictures in between the pages. (The figure is more or less the same, depending on the publishing company that print your copy.)

Martin Scorsese directed the big-screen adaptation, which surprised some of his fans. He became renowned for pictures that were violent and religious at the same time. He was identified with the gangsters who ruled New York's underbelly. This was the farthest from the premise of "Hugo Cabret", which was set in a train station in Paris during the early years of the 20th century. It was make believe, a familiar theme to him.

The history of cinema

“If you've ever wondered where your dreams come from when you go to sleep at night, just look around. This is where they are made.”

"The Invention of "Hugo Cabret" took place inside a cold train station. It was about a young boy who must clean off the clocks. He lives with his inconsiderate uncle. He often thinks about Georges Méliès, one of the pioneers in the development of cinema as a form of art. His old man happens to work for him before that tragic accident in their home not long ago. It leads to curiosity. What follows next is totally unexpected.

These three elements don't relate to each other, only made possible by the illustrations. This is the power of imagination, which Méliès's contemporaries didn't see in his works. (Most recognize the significance of artworks a bit too late.) Visualize Paris from the train station. The city is bleak and dreary during most of the day, but the boy starts to believe that there's something magical about the place. He found out the answer after dusk, when the full moon was up. Then he looks at the train station, and begin to explore. Never have he thought that there were unexpected surprises from the least-expected occupants. We almost forget Georges Méliès.

It would be a mistake to label "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" as an ode to cinema. It was about the movies at its early form, but this medium was so different back then. Many were excited about it. They couldn't wait. Méliès knew that the sense of sight could be the most important of the senses. It conjured images that people never imagined before. This could be preserved for future generations. This amazing feeling is lost nowadays, with all the computer-generated special effects. It can numb the senses in the long run. Simple is better.

Look at these elements, again, and picture it together. The outcome is beyond words.