Adapting stories from the printed page to the silver screen is an all-too-common practice for filmmakers. From literary classics, such as Moby Dick and To Have and Have Not to the likes of Pride and Prejudice and The Shining, countless books have been turned to movies ever since the dawn of the motion picture. While some have proven quite memorable for their take on their source material others have not fared quite so well. In 2011, Paramount Pictures and legendary director Martin Scorsese presented what is one of the more uniquely memorable movies adapted from a book in the form of Hugo. Adapted from author Brian Selznick’s The Invention of Hugo Cabret, this two-hour-plus movie (two hours, six minutes to be exact) stands out in part because of its story, which will be discussed shortly. The cinematography that went into the movie makes for its own interest and enhances the viewing experience even more. It will be examined a little later. Late last month, Arrow Video re-issued the movie complete with a handful of new bonus features, which add even more to the movie’s engagement and entertainment. That bonus content will also be discussed shortly. Each item noted is key in its own way to the whole of this movie’s presentation. All things considered they make Hugo not only one of the more memorable cinematic entries of the new century so far but also one of the more memorable movies adapted to the silver screen in recent memory.
Late last month, Arrow Video re-issued Paramount Pictures’ 2011 movie Hugo on 4K UHD and Blu-ray. The re-issue is, like so many movies recently re-issued through Arrow Video, another welcome presentation from the studio that further shows why Arrow Video is a leader right now in home entertainment releases. That is proven in part through the movie’s story. Adapted from author Brian Selznick’s novel, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, the story is one part historical fiction and one part love letter to books and cinema history. It is a story that is so much unlike so many movies adapted from books past and present today. It tells the story of legendary and groundbreaking director George Melies while also tying in his story to that of orphan Hugo Cabret, who keeps the clocks running in the Gare Montparnasse train station in Paris, France. The station actually once existed and much of Melies’ story goes by the real story of the legendary director. That it is so unique and historically accurate while also being a fiction makes it stand out so much, and in turn makes it so engaging and entertaining. Getting somewhat off the subject slightly, the story featured in the movie does change a few things in its translation from page to screen, according to Selznick himself during one of the new bonus features’ interviews. However, Selznick also notes just how closely it sticks to the story in his novel. That makes for all the more interest. This discussion will be addressed even more later. Getting back on the subject at hand, that the movie changes so little in its adaptation from page to screen and that it is so unique is reason enough for audiences to take in this movie in its new re-issue.
The story featured in Hugo is just one part of what makes the movie so engaging and entertaining. The cinematography featured in the movie builds on the foundation formed by the story and makes for even more engagement and entertainment. From the specific camera angles and colors used throughout the story (which collectively give the presentation so much warmth) to the very lighting connected therein, the overall cinematography gives the movie a look that is so much unlike any other movie out there, too. It is a tribute to Scorsese’s years of experience behind the lens. He clearly knew exactly what kind of look was needed to make the movie aesthetically pleasing and it shows throughout the movie. Even when Scorsese and his crew combined the live action and stop motion moment in Melies’ toy shop, there is something about the connection that feels so fluid. Between that and another moment, such as Hugo’s nightmare involving the train crashing at the station (that crash actually did happen in real life, too, making for even more believability in the story), as well as the general look of the movie, the cinematography brings so much more depth to this movie and makes it all the more enjoyable when it is considered alongside the movie’s story.
The pairing of Hugo’s story and its cinematography obviously goes a long way toward making the movie so enjoyable and in its recent re-issue is just a portion of what makes the movie so appealing. The bevy of bonus features that accompany the movie builds even more on that appeal. A handful of previously unreleased bonuses is among those extras, one of the most notable being the previously noted sit-downs with Selznick. Selznick openly praises the work of Scorsese and his cast and crew. He goes so far as to note that he did not remember the last time he had seen a movie that so faithfully adapted its literary source material to the screen. That simple statement speaks volumes about the story and the work put in by screenwriter John Logan, who wrote the story’s cinematic adaptation. At the same time, Selznick does also note that there were some variances between the original story and the adaptation, but that he understood the changes when he saw the early production. It is just one of so many interesting topics that Selznick addresses during his discussion. He also points out the interesting revelation that originally, he had planned to make The Invention of Hugo Cabret a novella, not a novel and that making so much of the book play out through pictures instead of words was intentional because of the whole matter of how it pays tribute to silent film. That discussion is just as certain to engage and entertain audiences as Selznick’s other talks. All things considered here, the addition of Selznick’s interview to the movie’s recent re-issue adds its own layer of interest to the overall presentation and is just one of the new bonuses that will interest viewers.
Another notable new addition to this re-issue’s bonus content is that of French film historian and author Julien Dupuy’s discussion on Melies’ place in cinema’s history. Subtitled in English, Dupuy’s discussion, which is held in a museum holding much of the material that Melies used during his career, explains how Melies’ use of a process, such as story boarding set the stage for today’s story boarding. He also reveals during his discussion, that sadly, much of Melies’ work ended up being pirated here in the United States, and he was never financially compensated for the losses. One cannot help but wonder if that played into Melies ending up bankrupt, running a toy shop in a train station late in his life. His use of cameras to create what was essentially the forerunner to modern 3D is also addressed by Dupuy during his discussion. He adds in that Scorsese shot Hugo in a format that was 3D in format. That would explain why the movie is available in 3D in its latest re-issue. As if all of this is not enough, Dupuy also points out that early in his life, his parents were not supportive of his decision to go into filmmaking during his in-depth interview. One cannot help but wonder what his parents would have thought if they knew the impact that his movies would go on to have. It is just one more of so many topics that Dupuy touches on during his discussions. When all of this and so much more is considered together, the whole of Dupuy’s new feature further shows the role of the bonus content to this new re-issue.
One more notable previously unreleased bonus feature included in this re-issue comes in the form of film critic and historian Pamela Hutchinson’s discussion on the earliest cinema. Done entirely through voice over as audiences are introduced to a museum full of film history content, Hutchinson points out that the earliest cinema is considered by some to be eons-old cave drawings that show action and movement. She also notes how an early motion picture device played its own part in a technology that Melies would go on to use for his own movies, adding even more interesting back story to the overall story of Hugo. When these and so many other topics addressed by Hutchinson are considered together here, that whole makes this new bonus feature yet another welcome, engaging and entertaining addition to the movie’s re-issue. When this new bonus and the others noted here (and they are not the only new bonuses included in the re-issue, either) are considered together they and those other bonus features work with the previously released extras to make the overall bonus content just as critical to the enjoyment of this movie as the movie’s story, its cinematography and even the work of its cast. All things considered, Arrow Video’s recent re-issue of Hugo proves to be more proof of why Arrow Video is a leader today in home entertainment and why this movie is among the best of 2023’s new movie and TV re-issues.
Arrow Video’s recent re-issue of Paramount Pictures’ 2011 movie Hugo is another impressive offering from the independent movie distributor. Its appeal comes in part through its dual-part story. One part historical fiction and one part something even more unique, it balances those two story elements to make the whole fully engaging and entertaining. The cinematography that went into the movie’s presentation is yet another exhibition of legendary director Martin Scorsese’s expert eye for effect even in that avenue. The two elements together make for plenty of appeal for the movie. The new bonus content that is presented in the re-issue joins with the archived content to make for even more insight into the movie, and in turn engagement and entertainment. Each item examined here is important in its own way to the whole of the re-issue. All things considered they make Arrow Video’s re-issue of Hugo a welcome offering from a company that is a leader in the home entertainment industry and a presentation that is one of this year’s top new TV and movie re-issues.
Hugo is available now. More information on this and other titles from Arrow Video is available at:
Website: http://www.arrowfilms.com
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