Hugo - Martin Scorsese - 2011
1 - Why is working on the automaton important to Hugo and his father? Why is it important to Hugo after his father dies?
2 - Why is the notebook significant to both Georges and Hugo? What does their attachment to it suggest about them?
3 - Hugo says that every person has a purpose. What was Georges’s purpose? What evidence in the movie shows this?
4 - In what ways does Hugo’s discovery of the heart-shaped key lead to the resolution of other problems?
5 - Why do you think the author chose to give the automaton a heart-shaped keyhole?
6 - Did you enjoy the film, and if so, what did you like best about it? Which age range, if any, do you think it was aimed at?
7 - ‘If you lose your purpose, it’s like you’re broken.’ – Hugo
In what ways are different characters in Hugo ‘broken’, and what allows them to be ‘fixed’ again?
2 - Why is the notebook significant to both Georges and Hugo? What does their attachment to it suggest about them?
3 - Hugo says that every person has a purpose. What was Georges’s purpose? What evidence in the movie shows this?
4 - In what ways does Hugo’s discovery of the heart-shaped key lead to the resolution of other problems?
5 - Why do you think the author chose to give the automaton a heart-shaped keyhole?
6 - Did you enjoy the film, and if so, what did you like best about it? Which age range, if any, do you think it was aimed at?
7 - ‘If you lose your purpose, it’s like you’re broken.’ – Hugo
In what ways are different characters in Hugo ‘broken’, and what allows them to be ‘fixed’ again?
Martin Scorsese - Georges Melies
Martin Scorsese, the legendary director perhaps best known for violent gangland dramas like Taxi Driver and Goodfellas, wanted to make a film that his young daughter could watch. He also wanted to share his passion for film history and preservation, and for the magic of cinema itself. He turned to a book he had read with his daughter at bedtime – The Invention of Hugo Cabret, an illustrated novel by Brian Selznick.
The novel, and the resulting film, delve into the history of early filmmaker Georges Méliès. A stage magician who was enchanted by the early films of the Lumière brothers, Méliès constructed his own camera and film studio. He began shooting his first films in 1896, and subsequently made over five hundred in a wide range of genres, pioneering many key cinematic techniques. In 1913, however, his company was forced into bankruptcy, and his film stock melted down to make boot heels. He fell into obscurity, working at a toy booth in Montparnesse station.
In 1931, Méliès' contribution to cinema was finally given official recognition, and he was awarded the Légion d’honneur medal, France’s highest honour.
The novel, and the resulting film, delve into the history of early filmmaker Georges Méliès. A stage magician who was enchanted by the early films of the Lumière brothers, Méliès constructed his own camera and film studio. He began shooting his first films in 1896, and subsequently made over five hundred in a wide range of genres, pioneering many key cinematic techniques. In 1913, however, his company was forced into bankruptcy, and his film stock melted down to make boot heels. He fell into obscurity, working at a toy booth in Montparnesse station.
In 1931, Méliès' contribution to cinema was finally given official recognition, and he was awarded the Légion d’honneur medal, France’s highest honour.