The Méliès Mystery (2021 TV Movie)

Laurent Mannoni: Self

Quotes 

• Laurent Mannoni : Méliès is deeply rooted in the 19th century, especially in the end of the 19th century, the century of great theatrical fairytales, of magic shows. He was a real enthusiast for these two genres at that time. He really took part in this momentum, because the Méliès genre is soaked up in the fairytales he had seen during his childhood at the Châtelet of the Gaîté theaters.

• Laurent Mannoni : He doesn't stand out through his special effects or his technique; but, through his imagination. That seemed endless and always alert, and always in action. That's what makes him wonderful.

• Laurent Mannoni : To understand Méliès, we must understand that he spoke to two audiences. First, his own, at the Robert Houdin theater; but, the majority of his production was reserved to stallholders. At the time, people watched films in tent with very specific screening conditions. The usher rallied the masses, there was a barker and music, and the sound of generators, there was a sound universe, olfactory even, that were incredible. Today, we can't seem to grasp it, it's a lost secret. This played out in Méliès's films' success. The stallholders found the right combination to make these films extraordinarily attractive.

• Laurent Mannoni : Méliès was, of course, the first to think about using two cameras, in order to get two negatives. Anyway, the idea was picked up in France, in the USA, and all around. It is amazing to think that the cameras he used, especially in 1902, to direct more sophisticated films, were pretty archaic cameras. In spite of that, he would get miraculously precise special effects.

• Laurent Mannoni : There was a patent war at one point in the USA. Thomas Edison applied, very early on, in 1891, for patents for the kinetoscope, but also for perforated 35 mm film. Therefore, he could demand a number of things from people who produced film, since he claimed to have invented it. So he decided to create a corporation in 1908, that he called the MPPC, The Motion Pictures Patent Corporation, that would gather different editors. At that point, Gaston Méliès, then in the United States, felt like it was imperative that they were part of in order for Georges's interests to be represented in America.