Civilization and City Images in the Films of Georges Méliès

Abstract

The very first images of civilization and city in Georges Méliès fiction films are described in the article. His vision of "islands" of a civilization in the middle of a stony landscape and active aircraft traffic were adopted by science-fiction cinema later. In his travel films, the director creates the image of civilization not so much with the help of the spatial environment, but with references to the world of science, entertainment and spectacular urban culture. Méliès became the author of the first images of city roofs, the Middle Age city screen myth, and the confrontation of traditional city and modern technical civilization.