"A Trip to the Moon" (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_trip_to_the_moon) is a short 1902 French black-and-white silent science fiction film written and directed by Georges Méliès. This classic film is known for its uses innovative animation and special effects. It is based loosely on two popular novels of the time: Jules Verne's "From the Earth to the Moon" and H. G. Wells' "The First Men in the Moon". The film and both books are in the public domain.

This version is about 7 and a half minutes, with only minor edits to the original (mostly due to speeding up the frame rate), using music of Euphorica's brilliant trance album "Spacetime" added as a soundtrack.

Plot (filmsite.org/voya.html):
At a meeting of a scientific society, six astronomers volunteer to try to fly to the moon. They build a space capsule in the shape of a bullet, and a huge cannon to shoot it into space. The astronomers board their spaceship and their capsule is fired from the cannon. The Man in the Moon watches the capsule as it approaches the moon, and it hits him in the eye (a classic film moment). Landing safely on the Moon, the astronomers get out of the capsule and explore their fantastic new world. An insectoid alien inhabitants of the Moon, Selenites, appear. They are killed easily, as the creatures explode if they are hit with a hard
force, but their sheer numbers overwhelm the astronomers and they are surrounded. The Selenites arrest the astronomers and bring them to their Selenite palace. An astronomer breaks free and kills the Chief
Selenite, allowing them all to escape. The astronomers run back to their capsule and five get inside. The sixth uses a rope to tip the capsule over a ledge on the Moon, thereby "dropping" it into outerspace. The capsule falls into the Earth's ocean, where they are rescued. The final sequence (evidently missing from the public domain version) depicts a celebratory parade in honor of the travelers' return.

TRIVIA:
* Georges Méliès himself plays the leading astronomer.
* The film was listed as one of the top 100 films of the 20th century by the Village Voice (filmsite.org/villvoice.html).
* Parts of this film were re-enacted in Martin Scorsese's recent film "Hugo" (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugo_(film)).

Music artist:
Euphorica (Corné Sluiter),
Album:
Spacetime
Track:
Spacetime
License:
creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/
URL:
ektoplazm.com/free-music/euphorica-spacetime

Used by permission of Corné Sluiter.

All editing done by me.