He is almost 70 years old but Martin Scorsese, possibly one of the most legendary and outstanding directors of the modern era, has not aged even a bit. The director still reflects that youthful dynamism, the zeal and gritty energy which had marked his early ventures back in the heyday of the 70s. In a career spanning nearly 45 years, Marty still considers himself as young in heart and mind and given how much praise has been dedicated to him over these years, it is stupendously humble of him to still rever people like Cecil B DeMilles and Satyajit Ray. Both were auteurs, who continue to inspire an auteur himself. But with Hugo, his latest film, we are seeing a director's love and full-throated admiration for the very art of filmmaking, and maybe for both the muses in his career- people, who have been sidelined tragically but who were more than mere storytellers.
'Hugo', the lates film from Scorsese, sees him at the very peak of his artistry and vision and he devotes both in a glorious celebration of life, success, individual creativity and self-discovery. This must be the most visually beautiful film that he has made in recent years but the stunning spectacle is not just why 'Hugo' works. It works because it is, above all, a Scorsese film.
Far away from the chaotic ganglands of America, 'Hugo' is set in a 1930s Paris, or for most time, within the hectic and bustling peripheries of a railway station. Before we even begin with introductions or opening credits, Scorsese tugs us compellingly into the busy world of the station in one of his most fast-paced and thrilling long-shots ever- like the unforgettable long-shots in'Goodfellas' or 'Casino', we follow the camera as it sneaks and zooms in to the hustle and bustle of passengers, florists and musicians and then follows our young hero Hugo Cabaret sliding, sprinting and crawling through a fantastic, hidden world of clockwork, metal gears and dials. It simply knocks our breath off!
But hold a minute. Scorsese is not merely a stylist. He is also a deft storyteller who can evoke the most natural and heartfelt affection for even the most vicious incongruities of people. Hugo is much like the world-weary heroes of Scorsese's early films- the fact that he is only a boy does not seem to make him different from the troubled Travis Bickle of 'Taxi Driver'. Scorsese follows his character's loneliness with a nuanced precision- see him scrambling up and down in his hidden world while fixing the giant clocks on the station walls, a wizened and gruff toy shop owner known to all as Papa Georges rebukes him after emptying his pocket full of little gears and clockdials. Hugo also seems determined to escape a loutish station inspector determined to send off orphans to orphanages. He also gazes out of the glass clock windows out to the Eifel Tower, probably desperate to break free from his mundane life.
It is all very touching and at one point, you marvel with a knowing air how Scorsese seems to have made a film in truly Dickensian fashion. Like Dickens, Scorsese likes to imagine cities as hotspots of crime, corruption and venality but Hugo's innocence makes 'Hugo' work even more distinctly as a Charles Dickens' novel. But rather that mulling over the film's sentimentalism, Scorses ratchets up the pace and imagination. As Hugo joins Papa Georges daughter Isabel and takes her for escapades to the movies and unravel a mystery revolving a battered old automaton, this soon becomes a sprightly and genuinely moving adventure filled with a child-like wonder that makes it so authentically heartfelt and compassionate.
But there is another side to the film as well. Scorsese has grown up watching films and he makes some references to the icons like Georges Melles and Charlie Chaplin. The film becomes an enchanting story of self-dicovery and it works largely because Scorsese directs with the kind of enthusiasm and whole-hearted good nature that had marked some of the very early films as well.
Scorsese has never been known for happy endings- his films usually ending in characters meeting destitution, death, despair and self-exile. But this time around, he has so wonderfully rounded up genuine emotions of redemption, self-discovery, childhood innocence and above all an innocence in the grown-ups as well, so much that we root for a happy ending. And, boy he delivers it!
The cast has been chosen with wisdom with every actor fully able to make his or her character work. The spirited Asa Butterfield plays Hugo with such an immense talent and skill for both emotion and expression. His sad, lonely existence is fully justified and poignantly acted. It is equally wonderful to see him smile or even sob with real conviction. Chloe Hertz plays Isabel with spright and child-like enthusiasm though she seems a bit like the wise and bookish Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter films. The star of the pack is however Ben Kingsley playing finally a role that confirms his extraordinary talent. His Papa Georges is a fascinating mix of a gruff, aging man, a closer genius and visionary and a man torn apart by memories. Kingsley lives up to it with a incredible mix of sly wit, vulnerability and also generosity.
Scorsese has been particularly big on visual stylish and polish. And amidst the period-era recreation, we can make out his own ingeniously original style of visual storytelling. Robert Richardson's elaborate and stunning camerawork captures the icy fog, the burned out coal smoke of engines and the incisive mechanisms and gears of Hugo's world. Scorsese also zooms into Hugo's perspective of the life and hustle and bustle in the station around him through the glass cases of the giant clocks scattered around the station. But he also leads us to the people, their amusements and their romantic aspirations. The result is that we can't help but fall in love with every character despite hir or her faults.
More than just a family film, this is a film that has something for everyone. It is genuinely heartwarming, often fast-paced and Scorsese navigates the somewhat predictable story with a real mastery over narrative, mood and mileu to entertain and captivate us. 'Hugo' is the fantsay film for ages and like last year's 'The King's Speech'. it wholly deserves all the trophies and a lot more than that!
My Rating- 4 and a half/5
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