An Analysis Of The Cinema Of Attractions

The cinema of attractions came to existence during the early 20th century from 1900 to 1906 through films such as The Great Train Robbery (1903), A Trip to the Moon (1902), and many others. According to Tom Gunning, the Cinema of Attractions can can be defined as cinema that seeks to grab spectators attention, incite visual curiosity, and give pleasure through an exciting spectacle; all while being aware of it's attempts to do so. Cinema of Attractions grades itself on its ability to show something, values itself on showing the world something never before seen, or unique, and has a willingness to take the audience out of a strictly voyeristic atmosphere. (Gunning) The illusion, created by the likes of Griffith and others, that rose to primary

The film is considered one of the primary examples of the cinema of attractions at work and was very popular upon its release. So much so, that the film was quickly pirated by many major american studios, including the Edison company. The film was known for it's unusual length and highly advanced production values. A Trip to the Moon was the longest and one of the most complex films that Méliès had made, and employed "every trick he had learned or invented" such as his famous splicing techniques and other brand new dazzling special effects. (Miller p.15) Costing ₣10,000 to make, (Frazier) and taking three months to complete, (lefebvre p.51) the film is now considered Melies crown jewel of the many films he has

Filmed in California on a MGM set, the film was put through many minds, being written and directed by multiple people. The film is also notably one of the first to be incorperated by the use of technicolor, a new colorful presentation that deviated from the Black and White standard. The film recieved abundant praise from a vast majority of its critics at the time, but lost best picture by a slim margin to Gone with the Wind, another classic. The estimated budget of the film was ballparked around $2,800,000 with an opening weekend earning of $5,354,311 and a gross earning in the U.S. of