This is basically Hans Andersen’s “The Little Match Girl,” but from the inside, or from the perspective of the fortunate. What a great idea! We start with sweet masque-like visions of prosperity and comfort, with processions and dances, angels and snowflakes. Meliés’ work is always stylized (mimed, dance-like), but in addition to these pretty pictures he also contrives a few terrifically knowing, socially authentic details. For instance, look at the shot where the rich people all go in to be prosperous at the same time that an equal number of people, completely unremarked, hold lamps and lead horses and do all of their work. Towards the film’s conclusion it appears that the servant class has absorbed and adopted the values of its overseers. They are discomfited by the sight, by the very idea of poverty, and so forcefully thrust that beggar out into the cold. As this is not exactly Hans Andersen’s “The Little Match Girl,” the wealthy gentleman overrules them, and invites the poor man in. Very pretty! Now we just need to find a systemic alternative to glancing, unreliable individual largesse. Not charity, but justice! Here’s a famous, morally incontrovertible study of this very question, from a few pioneers of American broadcast journalism: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7087479n)
Catherine Hessling, in Renoir’s 1928 version
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Bookends. Andersen, but from the inside. Sweet masque like visions, processions and dances, angels and snowflakes. Noticing the shot where the rich go in and as many people, unremarked, hold lamps and lead horses and do all the work. The servants push the beggar out, and the gentleman invites him in. Very pretty. Justice over charity.