À la conquête du pôle

I really enjoyed this movie. Some of the other users have complained that there are scenes that don't advance the plot. I can't say this really bothers me in a movie that's less than ten minutes long.

I was most impressed by the production design. The sets and backdrops were lovely, and the whole film has a coherent look. The makers of this film obviously put a lot of effort into creating their fantasy world. Even if the journey through the zodiac didn't move the story forward, it held my attention because it was so imaginative and so beautiful.

While the effects are primitive by today's standards, they work because they're consistent with the design as a whole. Modern special effects are much more sophisticated, but that means nothing if they aren't smoothly integrated into the rest of the film. Melies and his collaborators created a world that I wanted to believe in.

Indeed, I'm currently going through a pile of films (on a 16mm projector no less) that are being discarded. I came across this one today and sat there the entire time riveted to the screen.

It has to be one of the most bizarre films I've ever seen. It seems to be trying very hard to be funny and for the most part it succeeds quite well. The images and the sheer craziness of it all can't help but make a person laugh.

I do have to admit though, that the overly long journey past the zodiac could have been done without. It slowed the frantic pace of the rest of the film, and was out of place in a film which was otherwise trying to be funny.

If you're a film buff, or you have a chance to see it, I'd say go for it. Otherwise, don't go out of your way.

There is one thing I'd like to point out, and I'm not sure if I'm right, but the version of this film that I saw had an English title screen and (not sure what they're called) - English dialog screens. The company that produced this version was "Star Films." I assume it's not the original one because it wasn't in French.

In many, many ways, this film is like Georges Méliès' triumph from almost a decade earlier--"Voyage Dans le Lune". In fact, if you didn't know they were made 9 year apart, you would have sworn that they were made at the same time. While I enjoyed the film a lot, the similarity in style is an indicator why this wonderful filmmaker soon fell out of favor--he was using techniques that had just become passé. Crowds were looking for something new. But the only really new aspect of "The Conquest of the Pole" is that it is very, very lengthy for a Méliès product--at 33 minutes (which was pretty long for 1912).

The movie begins with a bizarre scientific meeting. The leading minds from all over the world are meeting to discuss how to go to the pole. Some want to take cars, some want balloons and others want flying contraptions. It's funny because they folks mostly just argue (like they did in "Voyage Dans le Lune"), some of the folks there seem way out of place (such as the Mexican banditos) and it only gets worse when the comic relief arrives in the form of obnoxious suffragettes. The director was obviously making a statement about women's rights here and portrays their leader as a total jerk.

Soon the various expeditions begin and soon most of them result in killing these people. However, although they'd only talked about building the one flying machine, the sky is filled with hundreds or more! Now you'd think this would be a pretty straight-forward flight but it looks like his moon movie once again--and the flying machine is whizzing past stars, planets and comets--all being held in the air by beautiful women.

The arrival gets weird, as they soon see a giant--and the giant is a very funny piece of equipment. You really have to see it and the ending to believe them.

The bottom line is that this film, quality-wise, is little improvement over Méliès' early films BUT it does have a certain quaint charm. You can't help laugh at many of the situations (especially when the giant eats a member of the expedition) and it's a cute window into a bygone era. Amazing to look at and a bit silly as well. This is among the filmmaker's last films--and is a nice window into what he was doing before he stopped making films entirely the following year.

Why one has to go into outer space to get to the North Pole is a question to ponder. Apparently, there were numerous expeditions going and the airship appears to be the one that succeeds. After forming diverse crew from several countries and throwing out the women, the air bus embarks on its journey. It goes past several constellations, including Scorpio and Pisces as well as Gemini. When the explorers finally get to the North Pole, there is really nothing to do. They run around and meet up with a monster and one of them gets eaten. Since they were from all countries, the monster got to choose between German, French, Chinese, Spanish, etc. This could have been played for laughs but wasn't. Anyway, it is all visual and the whole process of exploring is wasted. These guys really don't have a clue. As for Melies, he is still doing the same stuff.

Conquest of the North Pole (1912)

aka Conquete du pole, La

*** (out of 4)

Georges Melies film that tries to rival his legendary A Trip to the Moon but doesn't come that close. A group of scientists try to determine a way to reach the North Pole. Once there they must do battle with a large ice monster. The stuff dealing with the ice monster was terrific and this creature is one of the best of Melies career.

In early 2008 there will be a box set released and will feature over 170 Melies' shorts.