Hugo Discussion Questions

Hugo Discussion Questions:

Georges Méliès’ films were set in fantastical worlds with magical creatures and adventurous and creative storylines. Hugo focuses on how films can allow you to escape reality and explore a dream-like world. Two quotes from the film explore this concept:

Georges Méliès: “If you’ve ever wondered where your dreams come from, you look around...this is where they’re made.” 

Georges Méliès: “My friends, I address you all tonight as you truly are; wizards, mermaids, travellers, adventurers, magicians... Come and dream with me.” What do these quotes teach us about the connection between the cinema and dreams?:

These two quotes teach a connection between cinema in dreams through the film Hugo. When you start Hugo, one of the first elements we get to explore is Hugo's dream to finish the automaton that he and his late father had tried to fix together. In these sequences then going back to Hugo’s reality of being stuck at the train station, showing how hes trying to fulfill the dream he had to finish it for his father. In these the music almost symbolizes a dream sequence, its magical and mystical to go along with Hugo's dream of finishing the automaton. When Hugo and his friend Isabelle finally solve the case of the missing piece, the key, we see the automaton complete a picture of the film A Trip To The Moon. The heart key is the way to fully unlock Hugo’s dream with the picture as the message that Hugo was looking for from his father. Georges Méliès quote; “If you’ve ever wondered where your dreams come from, you look around...this is where they’re made.” specifically goes with this sequence of Hugo finally getting the chance to see his dream come true. He had to believe in himself and see that the answer to fulfilling his dream was right around him, with Isabelle and then Georges Méliès himself in the film. We then have the quote; “My friends, I address you all tonight as you truly are; wizards, mermaids, traveler's, adventurers, magicians... Come and dream with me.” This is almost addressing what we truly are and in this way Hugo is like a magician with making his dream coming true and finding the solution to fixing the automaton. The first half of the film is Hugo discovering the way to see out his dream. Then to come we see Hugo’s dream fully come true, and we get to understand what everything is leading up to,