An Egyptian magician presents a skeleton before a frightened woman, who witnesses the eerie sight of the skeleton coming to life and changing form.
From the “Magician” Georges Méliès comes this short film lasting only a couple of minutes, yet it contains some of the most fascinating moments in all of film history.
Georges Méliès was famously known as “The Magician”—a fitting title, as he was originally a stage magician. He fully embraced the art of special effects with this film, and it’s impossible not to be impressed. We’re talking about 1903—over a century ago—so of course the effects are primitive by today’s standards. But even now, the visuals remain striking and stylish.
To enjoy or appreciate this film, you need to have an interest in the history of cinema and its origins. This is wild stuff, filled with Méliès’ trademark humour throughout. I can easily imagine audiences back in 1903 being genuinely startled at the sight of a skeleton coming to life—something far from ordinary in those days.
While Méliès is best known for his sci-fi opus A Trip to the Moon, and rightly so, I personally find The Monster just as good—perhaps even better. A brilliant piece of cinematic history.
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