A man goes to a house and begins to sing and play his guitar. A man, probably the father of the one he is serenading, comes out and throws him off his property. Not to be deterred, the guy comes back. This time, a beautiful lady, sitting on a crescent moon await him and he jumps up and joins her. Meanwhile, it is not good for the guy who mistreated him. He is aged and thrown from his house. This one is interesting although much of it makes no sense.
4 Reviews
Eye in the Sky
Cineanalyst16 August 2013
"A Moonlight Serenade" is a somewhat atypical single-scene film from Georges Méliès, the early cinema magician known for his wacky trick films and more elaborate féeries (fairy films). This one features Pierrot, who has long been especially famous in French theatre, as well as motion pictures from the Théâtre Optique animation screenings of "Pauvre Pierrot" by Charles-Émile Reynaud at the end of the 19th Century to Marcel Carné's highly acclaimed, three-hours "Children of Paradise" (1945).
For this film, Méliès seems to have hired a professional mime to play Pierrot. The supposed-hero Pierrot wakes a man from his sleep by playing his guitar and, in general, causing commotion outside the man's home. And, for the rest of the scene, this landowner is mercilessly terrorized, including by magically being aged suddenly to the point that his servants no longer recognize him, refuse to allow him in his own home, and beat him when he tries to enter. Pierrot, meanwhile, seems to dream up the goddess Phoebe perched on a crescent Moon, where he leaps up to join her. The Moon is then replaced by a circular vignette of a close-up of an eye. This is a rare instance of something of a close-up shot from Méliès, who usually kept everything at the distance of the proscenium arch. Another example of such an exception for a trick effect is "The Man with the Rubber Head" (1901). The close-up of an eye also has a precedent in another's film, George Albert Smith's "Grandma's Reading Glass" (1900). Finally, there's a comical man-in-the-moon face, a la "A Trip to the Moon" (1902), who laughs at the misfortune of the landowner.
For this film, Méliès seems to have hired a professional mime to play Pierrot. The supposed-hero Pierrot wakes a man from his sleep by playing his guitar and, in general, causing commotion outside the man's home. And, for the rest of the scene, this landowner is mercilessly terrorized, including by magically being aged suddenly to the point that his servants no longer recognize him, refuse to allow him in his own home, and beat him when he tries to enter. Pierrot, meanwhile, seems to dream up the goddess Phoebe perched on a crescent Moon, where he leaps up to join her. The Moon is then replaced by a circular vignette of a close-up of an eye. This is a rare instance of something of a close-up shot from Méliès, who usually kept everything at the distance of the proscenium arch. Another example of such an exception for a trick effect is "The Man with the Rubber Head" (1901). The close-up of an eye also has a precedent in another's film, George Albert Smith's "Grandma's Reading Glass" (1900). Finally, there's a comical man-in-the-moon face, a la "A Trip to the Moon" (1902), who laughs at the misfortune of the landowner.
Pierrot and Georges Méliès once again.
planktonrules6 September 2020
In the late 17th century, an acting troop from Italy known as 'Commedia Dell'Arte' traveled throughout France. Among the many characters played by members of the troop was Pierrot...a clown-like character who was destined, in most cases, to have his heart broken with unrequited love. The director Georges Méliès was taken with Pierrot and often featured him in his films in the late 19th and early 20th century.
When "Au Clair de la Lune ou Pierrot Malheureux" begins, Pierrot is outside a mansion trying to declare his love for some unseen woman. But the man of the house (played by Georges Méliès himself) is a nasty old miser and tells him to get lost! Soon Pierrot an the moon fall in love...and the moon is able to use its powers to turn this rich man into a beggar.
The film has a few things I am not thrilled with, such as Pierrot's overly exaggerated acting at the onset of the film as well as the unnecessary and stupid giant eyeball at the end. However, the rest is quite nice and it tells a nice morality tale. Good, just not perfect.
When "Au Clair de la Lune ou Pierrot Malheureux" begins, Pierrot is outside a mansion trying to declare his love for some unseen woman. But the man of the house (played by Georges Méliès himself) is a nasty old miser and tells him to get lost! Soon Pierrot an the moon fall in love...and the moon is able to use its powers to turn this rich man into a beggar.
The film has a few things I am not thrilled with, such as Pierrot's overly exaggerated acting at the onset of the film as well as the unnecessary and stupid giant eyeball at the end. However, the rest is quite nice and it tells a nice morality tale. Good, just not perfect.
Moonlight Serenade
Michael_Elliott24 July 2008
Moonlight Serenade, A (1904)
*** (out of 4)
aka Au clair de la lune ou Pierrot malheureux
A lonely man goes to the house of his love to play guitar for her but (what appears to be) her father kicks him out. Soon the moon and its princess come towards the man and offers him something better. This is a pretty good little fantasy from the French master that has some funny moments with the father as well as some nice special effects. The moon from the director's A Trip to the Moon makes an appearance here with a few slight alterations. The highlight of the film is certainly when the man is able to jump on the moon and be taken away.
*** (out of 4)
aka Au clair de la lune ou Pierrot malheureux
A lonely man goes to the house of his love to play guitar for her but (what appears to be) her father kicks him out. Soon the moon and its princess come towards the man and offers him something better. This is a pretty good little fantasy from the French master that has some funny moments with the father as well as some nice special effects. The moon from the director's A Trip to the Moon makes an appearance here with a few slight alterations. The highlight of the film is certainly when the man is able to jump on the moon and be taken away.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
