20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Plot
The film follows a humble fisherman named Yves who dreams of exploring the ocean's depths in a submarine. After falling asleep, Yves experiences a fantastical underwater journey where he encounters both realistic marine life and mythical creatures. His submarine adventure leads him to discover an underwater kingdom populated by dancing naiads, portrayed by performers from the prestigious Théâtre du Châtelet. The dream sequence features elaborate sets with cut-out sea creatures inspired by Alphonse de Neuville's illustrations from Jules Verne's original novel. Yves's underwater exploration culminates in a grand celebration with the naiads before he awakens back in his humble fishing boat. The film serves as both a parody and homage to Verne's famous work, showcasing Méliès's signature blend of fantasy and theatrical spectacle.
Director
Cast
About the Production
The film featured elaborate hand-coloring techniques typical of Méliès's work, with each frame individually colored by female workers in his studio. The underwater scenes were created using theatrical effects including painted backdrops, smoke machines, and carefully choreographed wire work for the 'floating' sea creatures. Méliès employed multiple exposure techniques to create the illusion of underwater movement and transparency. The naiads' costumes were designed to flow and shimmer underwater, using lightweight fabrics and strategic lighting to enhance the ethereal effect. The submarine prop was constructed as a full-scale set piece that could be tilted and moved to simulate underwater navigation.
Historical Background
1907 was a pivotal year in early cinema, marking the transition from simple actualities to more complex narrative films. The film industry was still in its infancy, with Méliès being one of the few filmmakers creating elaborate fantasy productions. This period saw the rise of permanent movie theaters and the beginning of cinema as a commercial art form. France was the center of global film production, with Méliès's Star Film Company competing with Pathé and Gaumont for international markets. The film was created during the Belle Époque, a time of great artistic and technological innovation in Paris, where theater, art, and new technologies like cinema were flourishing. Méliès's work represented the transition from stage magic to cinematic special effects, and his films were among the first to establish cinema as a medium for fantasy and spectacle rather than just documentary recording.
Why This Film Matters
This film represents an important early example of cinematic parody and adaptation, showing how filmmakers were already engaging with and reinterpreting literary works just a decade after cinema's invention. Méliès's approach to adapting Verne's work demonstrates the early relationship between literature and cinema, establishing patterns that would continue throughout film history. The film's use of theatrical dancers and stage techniques shows the transitional nature of early cinema, borrowing heavily from established art forms while developing its own unique language. As one of the first underwater films, it pioneered visual techniques that would influence countless subsequent aquatic productions. The film also exemplifies Méliès's role in establishing fantasy and science fiction as viable genres in cinema, predating the more famous American science fiction films by decades. Its preservation, even in fragmented form, provides crucial insight into early cinematic techniques and artistic vision.
Making Of
Georges Méliès created this film during his most productive period, when he was producing dozens of short films annually at his Montreuil studio. The production required extensive preparation of props and costumes, with Méliès adapting stage magic techniques for the camera. The underwater effect was achieved through a combination of painted backdrops, gauze screens, and careful lighting to create the illusion of being beneath the waves. The dancers from Théâtre du Châtelet had to learn new techniques for moving 'underwater' on stage, using slow, flowing movements enhanced by their billowing costumes. Méliès personally supervised the hand-coloring process, which was extremely labor-intensive and expensive, but which he considered essential for his fantasy films. The film was shot in Méliès's glass studio, which allowed him to control lighting conditions precisely, crucial for creating the underwater atmosphere.
Visual Style
The cinematography employed Méliès's signature techniques including multiple exposures, dissolves, and substitution splices to create magical effects. The underwater atmosphere was achieved through careful lighting design using gels and filters to simulate the blue-green tones of the ocean depths. Méliès used a stationary camera typical of the era, but created movement through elaborate set designs and performer choreography. The hand-coloring process added rich hues to each scene, with special attention given to the sea creatures and naiads' costumes. The film utilized matte painting techniques for background elements, combining painted scenery with live action in a single frame.
Innovations
The film pioneered several technical innovations for underwater cinematography, including the use of gauze screens to create water effects and specialized lighting to simulate underwater conditions. Méliès developed new methods for creating the illusion of floating and swimming through careful wire work and performer choreography. The hand-coloring process for this film was particularly complex, requiring precise stencil work for the detailed sea creatures and flowing costumes. The film also demonstrated advanced set construction techniques, with movable elements that could simulate the movement of a submarine through water. Méliès's use of multiple exposure to create transparent and layered effects was groundbreaking for the time.
Music
As a silent film, it would have been accompanied by live musical performance during exhibition. The typical accompaniment would have included piano or small ensemble music, often incorporating popular songs of the era and classical pieces. The underwater scenes would have featured flowing, ethereal music to enhance the dreamlike atmosphere. No original score was composed specifically for the film, as was standard practice for productions of this period.
Famous Quotes
No recorded dialogue exists as this is a silent film
Memorable Scenes
- The transformation sequence where the fisherman's boat becomes a submarine
- The grand underwater ballet featuring the naiads from Théâtre du Châtelet
- The parade of fantastical sea creatures inspired by Neuville's illustrations
- The dream sequence transition from reality to underwater fantasy
- The final celebration scene with all underwater inhabitants
Did You Know?
- This was Méliès's parody of the popular 1905 stage adaptation of Verne's novel, which had been a huge success in Paris
- The film was cataloged as Star Film #979-983 in Méliès's production catalog
- The naiads were played by dancers from the Théâtre du Châtelet, one of Paris's most prestigious theaters
- Méliès himself played the role of Captain Nemo in the film
- The cut-out sea creatures were directly inspired by Alphonse de Neuville's original illustrations for Verne's 1870 novel
- Like many of Méliès's films, this was hand-colored using a stencil process, with each color applied by different workers
- The film was Méliès's first major underwater production, predating his more famous underwater works
- The submarine set was designed to be both realistic and fantastical, combining Victorian technology with Méliès's signature theatrical style
- The film was distributed internationally, with copies sent to the United States, Britain, and other European countries
- Only fragments of the original film survive today, with some scenes preserved in various film archives
What Critics Said
Contemporary critics praised the film's imaginative visuals and technical innovation, with French film journals noting Méliès's continued mastery of cinematic magic. The film was particularly appreciated for its hand-coloring and elaborate sets, which set it apart from the more simplistic productions of the era. Modern film historians view it as an important example of early fantasy cinema and a significant work in Méliès's oeuvre, though it is less studied than his more famous films like 'A Trip to the Moon'. Critics today note the film's importance in the development of underwater cinematography and its role in establishing cinema as a medium for elaborate fantasy productions.
What Audiences Thought
Audiences in 1907 were delighted by the film's spectacular visuals and fantastical elements, which represented the height of cinematic entertainment at the time. The film was popular in both France and international markets, where Méliès's fantasy productions had a dedicated following. The appearance of professional dancers from the Théâtre du Châtelet added prestige and attracted theater-goers to the new medium of cinema. Contemporary audience reports suggest that the underwater scenes were particularly impressive to viewers who had never seen such effects before. The film's parody elements were well-received by audiences familiar with Verne's work and the recent stage adaptation.
Film Connections
Influenced By
- Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
- Stage magic and theatrical traditions
- Alphonse de Neuville's illustrations
- The 1905 stage adaptation of Verne's novel
This Film Influenced
- The Mysterious Island (1929)
- 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
- Various underwater adventure films
- Fantasy films featuring underwater kingdoms
You Might Also Like
Film Restoration
Only fragments of the original film survive today. Parts are preserved in various archives including the Cinémathèque Française and the Museum of Modern Art. The film is considered partially lost, with some scenes existing only in still photographs or written descriptions. Restoration efforts have been made to preserve the surviving footage, but the complete film as originally shown in 1907 no longer exists in its entirety.