Conjuring

Plot

In this brief but historically significant film, Georges Méliès performs a magic trick on stage, appearing as a magician in formal attire. He conjures a woman who appears and disappears multiple times through theatrical sleight of hand. The magician continues to produce and make vanish various objects, demonstrating his mastery of illusion. The entire performance is captured in a single static shot, typical of early cinema, showing Méliès's transition from stage magician to filmmaker. The film serves as a direct documentation of one of the theatrical magic acts that made Méliès famous at his Théâtre Robert-Houdin in Paris.

Historical Background

The year 1896 marked the dawn of commercial cinema, with the Lumière brothers pioneering actuality films that documented everyday life. Méliès, a contemporary of the Lumières, took cinema in a completely different direction by bringing theatrical performance and magic to the new medium. This period saw the emergence of two distinct approaches to early cinema: the Lumière's realistic documentary style versus Méliès's fantastical, theatrical approach. The film was created during a time when Paris was the cultural capital of the world, and new technologies were rapidly transforming entertainment. The 1890s also saw the height of the Belle Époque period, a time of great artistic innovation and optimism about technological progress. Méliès's work represented the intersection of traditional theater arts with cutting-edge technology, embodying the spirit of innovation that characterized the era.

Making Of

Georges Méliès was already a successful stage magician when he attended the famous Lumière brothers' first film screening in 1895. Initially unimpressed, he soon saw the potential of cinema for enhancing his magic acts. 'Conjuring' was filmed in Méliès's makeshift outdoor studio, which featured glass walls to maximize natural lighting - a necessity before artificial film lighting became available. The magician himself performed in the film, using the same costumes and props from his regular theater performances at the Théâtre Robert-Houdin. This film represents the crucial transitional moment when Méliès began to see film not just as a recording device but as a new medium for artistic expression, setting the stage for his later innovations with special effects and narrative filmmaking.

Visual Style

The cinematography of 'Conjuring' is characteristic of 1896 filmmaking, featuring a single static camera position that captures the entire performance from a frontal perspective, much like an audience member's view of a stage performance. The camera was likely hand-cranked, resulting in variable frame rates typical of the era. The film was shot on 35mm film stock, which was the standard format established by the Lumière brothers. The lighting was entirely natural, utilizing sunlight through the glass walls of Méliès's outdoor studio. The composition is theatrical rather than cinematic, with the performer centered in the frame and the entire stage visible. This straightforward approach was typical of early cinema before filmmakers began exploring camera movement, close-ups, and more sophisticated visual techniques.

Innovations

While 'Conjuring' itself does not feature the special effects that would make Méliès famous, it represents an important technical achievement as one of the earliest successful attempts to capture theatrical performance on film. The film demonstrates Méliès's early understanding of how to adapt stage performance for the camera, including considerations of framing, timing, and visual clarity. The production utilized Méliès's custom-built camera and his innovative outdoor studio with glass walls, which was a technical solution to the lighting challenges of early filmmaking. The film also represents an early example of genre filmmaking, establishing the magic trick film as a distinct category. Although the tricks themselves are theatrical rather than cinematic, the film shows Méliès beginning to think about how the camera could enhance and transform traditional performance arts.

Memorable Scenes

• The entire film consists of a single memorable scene: Méliès, dressed as a magician, performing sleight-of-hand tricks on stage, making a woman and various objects appear and disappear through traditional theatrical methods rather than film effects

What Critics Said

Contemporary critical reception of 'Conjuring' is difficult to document due to the limited film journalism of 1896, but the film was commercially successful enough to encourage Méliès to continue filmmaking. Early film enthusiasts and magic enthusiasts particularly praised Méliès's ability to translate theatrical magic to the new medium. Modern film historians and critics universally recognize the film's importance as a pioneering work in fiction filmmaking. The film is frequently cited in scholarly works about early cinema as a crucial transitional piece between actuality films and narrative cinema. Critics today appreciate its historical significance and its role in establishing Méliès as cinema's first great visionary artist.

What Audiences Thought

Audiences in 1896 were fascinated by Méliès's film, as it offered something different from the Lumière brothers' actualities. Viewers were amazed to see a magic trick captured on film, even though the effects were purely theatrical rather than cinematic. The film was popular in both France and internationally through Star Film Company's distribution network. Contemporary audiences appreciated seeing a familiar form of entertainment (magic tricks) presented through the new technology of cinema. The film's success helped establish Méliès as a major figure in early cinema and encouraged him to produce more films with magical themes. Modern audiences viewing the film today primarily appreciate its historical significance and its role in the birth of narrative cinema.

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