Name: La Légende de Rip Van Winkle
Genre: Short, Drama, Fantasy
Released: 1905-11-25
Duration: 10 min
Rating: 5.9
Cast: André Méliès, Georges Méliès

Georges Méliès was a master filmmaker...but this is NOT a very good film when it comes to the story itself.

"The Legend of Rip Van Winkle" (aka "Rip's Dream") is a 14 minute long film from French filmmaker Georges Méliès. IMDB says it's 10 minutes in length but the version I found on YouTube lasted 14. Some difference can occur due to cranking speed (silent cameras were hand-cranked...and so speeds varied widely), but not four minutes worth.

As far as the story goes, it looks as if no one associated with the movie ever actually READ "Rip Van Winkle" by Washington Irving. So much of the story is wrong that it looks as if they just took the broadest notionn of the story and put it on film. The back story is gone and much of what follows is wrong. It's a real shame, as what Méliès did otherwise was terrific--really nice sets, costumes and decent acting for the time. It's also a shame that some portions are degraded and the hand-colored stock is ugly (especially at the bginning).

Provided you don't really want to learn about Rip Van Winkle, this isn't a bad film. I think it's of much more value as an example of the craft of Georges Méliès and the story itself is of little interest.

The drama genre is a broad category that features stories portraying human experiences, emotions, conflicts, and relationships in a realistic and emotionally impactful way. Dramas delve into the complexities of human life, often exploring themes of love, loss, morality, societal issues, personal growth, with the aim to evoke an emotional response from the audience by presenting relatable and thought-provoking stories.

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The fantasy genre features imaginative and often magical worlds, characters, and events. It explores realms beyond the boundaries of reality, featuring elements such as magic, mythical creatures, supernatural powers, and fantastical settings. These stories can take place in entirely fictional worlds or blend fantastical elements with real-world settings.

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The short form refers to creative works characterized by their brevity and concise storytelling. Unlike full-length feature films, short films have a running time of less than 45 minutes, while TV shorts have a running time of less than 22 minutes.

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Pioneer filmmaker Georges Melies tells his version of the famous Washington Irving story of a man who takes a nap and wakes up 20 years later.

Georges Méliès in The Legend of Rip Van Winkle (1905)

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The Legend of Rip Van Winkle

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