The story in this film is about a magician who devises a contraption in which to inflate objects; in this case a replica of his own head.
Similar to other Georges Méliès short films, L'Homme à la Tête en Caoutchouc is based around a special effect. You could say it was a magic trick on film. Méliès was a conjurer so this is perhaps not surprising. To modern eyes it seems a little gimmicky but in the early days of cinema no one had actually worked out how to tell a narrative via the medium, therefore, many early films were showcases for illusions. In this case Méliès incorporated multiple exposures with zooms, which made it look as if the head was growing ever larger and larger. It's a crude yet effective effect and really illustrates the ingenuity and imagination of Méliès. I always find it quite incredible how those early cinema pioneers almost immediately started thinking about using the medium to show the impossible. They hadn't quite learned how to tell a story of any complexity but in films like this they were starting to incorporate their tricks within simple narratives. This is a playful little film that is somewhat amusing.
Similar to other Georges Méliès short films, L'Homme à la Tête en Caoutchouc is based around a special effect. You could say it was a magic trick on film. Méliès was a conjurer so this is perhaps not surprising. To modern eyes it seems a little gimmicky but in the early days of cinema no one had actually worked out how to tell a narrative via the medium, therefore, many early films were showcases for illusions. In this case Méliès incorporated multiple exposures with zooms, which made it look as if the head was growing ever larger and larger. It's a crude yet effective effect and really illustrates the ingenuity and imagination of Méliès. I always find it quite incredible how those early cinema pioneers almost immediately started thinking about using the medium to show the impossible. They hadn't quite learned how to tell a story of any complexity but in films like this they were starting to incorporate their tricks within simple narratives. This is a playful little film that is somewhat amusing.