History Film / Hugo

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hugo-poster_3787.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[Film/SafetyLast If you can guess what this comes from]], you have a taste of the movie already.]]

''Hugo'' (2011) is the first family film directed by Creator/MartinScorsese, written by John Logan and produced by Johnny Depp. It is based on the Caldecott Medal-winning children's novel ''Literature/TheInventionOfHugoCabret'' by Brian Selznick, grandnephew of legendary film producer David O.Selznick. It stars [[Creator/AsaButterfield Asa Butterfield]] as an orphan boy who lives in a train station in 1930s Paris and whose only companion is an automaton discovered by his late father. He devotes his life to making sure the clocks run on time and to gradually repairing the automaton, under the belief that the message it is designed to write is a message from his father.

Also starring Creator/SachaBaronCohen, Creator/ChristopherLee, Jude Law, Helen [=McCrory=], Ray Winstone, and [[Film/ASeriousMan Michael]] [[Series/BoardwalkEmpire Stuhlbarg]], it is notable for being Scorsese's first family film and the first movie he made in 3D. It is considered Scorsese's love letter to [[SilenceIsGolden silent cinema]].

''Hugo'' (2011) is the first family film directed by Creator/MartinScorsese, written by John Logan and produced by Johnny Depp. It is based on the Caldecott Medal-winning children's novel ''Literature/TheInventionOfHugoCabret'' by Brian Selznick, grandnephew of legendary film producer David O.Selznick. It stars [[Creator/AsaButterfield]] as an orphan boy who lives in a train station in 1930s Paris and whose only companion is an automaton discovered by his late father. He devotes his life to making sure the clocks run on time and to gradually repairing the automaton, under the belief that the message it is designed to write is a message from his father.

''Hugo'' (2011) is the first family film directed by Creator/MartinScorsese, written by John Logan and produced by Johnny Depp. It is based on the Caldecott Medal-winning children's novel ''Literature/TheInventionOfHugoCabret'' by Brian Selznick, grandnephew of legendary film producer David O.Selznick. It stars [[Literature/TheBoyInTheStripedPyjamas Asa Butterfield]] as an orphan boy who lives in a train station in 1930s Paris and whose only companion is an automaton discovered by his late father. He devotes his life to making sure the clocks run on time and to gradually repairing the automaton, under the belief that the message it is designed to write is a message from his father.

* NonResidentialResidence: The orphaned protagonist lives in the clock tower at a railway station.

* PhotographicMemory: Monsieur Labisse knows the exact location not only of every book in his shop, but also the Film Academy Library as well

** Also while we are happy about what happens to Hugo, it is hard not to think about the poor Orphan packed off to the Orphanage earlier, as we don't expect it will end so happy for him there.

** Also while we are happy about what happens to Hugo, it is hard not to think about the poor Orphan packed off to the Orphanage earlier, as we don't espect it will end so happy for him there.

* SidelongGlanceBiopic: Though a bit more fictionalized than most. See BasedOnATrueStory above.

** CuteBookworm

''Hugo'' (2011) is the first family film directed by Creator/MartinScorsese, written by [[WesternAnimation/{{Rango}} John]] [[Film/TheAviator Logan]] and produced by Johnny Depp. It is based on the Caldecott Medal-winning children's novel ''Literature/TheInventionOfHugoCabret'' by Brian Selznick, grandnephew of legendary film producer David O.Selznick. It stars [[Literature/TheBoyInTheStripedPyjamas Asa Butterfield]] as an orphan boy who lives in a train station in 1930s Paris and whose only companion is an automaton discovered by his late father. He devotes his life to making sure the clocks run on time and to gradually repairing the automaton, under the belief that the message it is designed to write is a message from his father.

* ArtisticLicenseHistory: According to [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges_Melies#Early_film_career The Other Wiki,]] sets and costumes for Méliès' movies were painted in shades of gray (not in their natural colors, as depicted) to avoid unpredictable tones in black-and-white film. The film did flip two things from [[spoiler: Méliès' life. In reality, he burned his films and sold his props.]] The film shows it happening the other way around.

** Hugo hanging off of the clock hands is a shout out to ''Film/SafetyLast'' by HaroldLloyd, which is also the film that the two kids sneak into the theater to view.

** If seen in 3D, the train scene is also a shout to the first film ever made, a train pulls into a station with the train coming towards the camera, which is also featured in the film.

** At the end of the movie, even though [[spoiler:Papa Georges and Hugo have developed a close relationship, the notebook that Georges took from Hugo never turns back up]]. This is an artifact of adaptation compression; in the book, [[spoiler:Isabelle does manage to find it]].

One day, he gets caught stealing a toy from Papa Georges (Sir {{Ben Kingsley}}), a melancholy man who runs a toystore inside the station. He finds the notebook Hugo carries containing drawings of the automaton by his father. Papa Georges takes the notebook, threatening to burn it. With the help of Papa Georges' goddaughter Isabelle (Creator/ChloeMoretz), Hugo tries to get the notebook back and use it to discover the secret of the automaton. Along the way, he discovers the secret of Papa Georges, including his real name.

** The TV commercials made it look like ''Literature/HarryPotter'' [[XMeetsY meets]] ''Film/{{Inception}}''.

* BodyHorror: The dream in which Hugo turns into the automaton. [[spoiler:It's not nearly as scary as it sounds, though.]]

* ArtisticLicenseHistory: According to [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges_M%C3%A9li%C3%A8s#Early_film_career The Other Wiki,]] sets and costumes for Méliès' movies were painted in shades of gray (not in their natural colors, as depicted) to avoid unpredictable tones in black-and-white film. The film did flip two things from [[spoiler: Méliès' life. In reality, he burned his films and sold his props.]] The film shows it happening the other way around.

** [[Series/BoardwalkEmpire Michael Pitt]] as a projectionist

->If you've ever wondered where your dreams come from, you look around... this is where they're made.
-->-- Creator/GeorgesMelies

''Hugo'' (2011) is the first family film directed by Creator/MartinScorsese, written by [[WesternAnimation/{{Rango}} John]] [[TheAviator Logan]] and produced by Johnny Depp. It is based on the Caldecott Medal-winning children's novel ''Literature/TheInventionOfHugoCabret'' by Brian Selznick, grandnephew of legendary film producer David O.Selznick. It stars [[Literature/TheBoyInTheStripedPyjamas Asa Butterfield]] as an orphan boy who lives in a train station in 1930s Paris and whose only companion is an automaton discovered by his late father. He devotes his life to making sure the clocks run on time and to gradually repairing the automaton, under the belief that the message it is designed to write is a message from his father.

** The TV commercials made it look like ''Literature/HarryPotter'' [[XMeetsY meets]] ''{{Inception}}''.

** Hugo's clockwork boy is based on [[http://www.fi.edu/learn/sci-tech/automaton/automaton.php?cts=instrumentation Maillardet's automaton,]] a real-life writing automaton whose history parallels its movie counterpart: It was built by a mechanical genius, damaged in a fire, donated to a museum, had its origins forgotten, and was eventually repaired by a clockwork enthusiast, whereupon its automated drawings provided a clue to its maker's identity.

** The Station Inspector: [[spoiler: His leg was crippled in WorldWarI, and beneath his stern, relentless persona is a lonely man who is harsh on orphans because it reminds him of the pain of being one himself.]]

* MoodWhiplash: The Station Inspector's initial conversation with Lisette is played for broad laughs, until his leg brace suddenly locks up again. [[spoiler: Cue the very not-funny revelation that his leg was badly injured in fighting during WorldWarOne, which is the first sign of his HiddenDepths]].

''Hugo'' (2011) is the first family film directed by Creator/MartinScorsese, written by [[WesternAnimation/{{Rango}} John]] [[TheAviator Logan]] and produced by Johnny Depp. It is based on the Caldecott Medal-winning children's novel ''Literature/TheInventionOfHugoCabret'' by Brian Selznick, grandnephew of legendary film producer David Selznick. It stars [[Literature/TheBoyInTheStripedPyjamas Asa Butterfield]] as an orphan boy who lives in a train station in 1930s Paris and whose only companion is an automaton discovered by his late father. He devotes his life to making sure the clocks run on time and to gradually repairing the automaton, under the belief that the message it is designed to write is a message from his father.

* AscendedToExtra: The Station Inspector in the book.

* ThreeDMovie