The Mermaid (1904)
"La sirène" (original title)

A man in a silk top hat stands in front of an empty aquarium. He pours water into his hat and goes fishing, hooking a small one. He becomes a hobo and catches more and more fish from the ... See full summary »

Director:

Georges Méliès

Stars:

Georges Méliès

Cast

Credited cast:
Georges Méliès

Storyline

A man in a silk top hat stands in front of an empty aquarium. He pours water into his hat and goes fishing, hooking a small one. He becomes a hobo and catches more and more fish from the hat. Then he starts pulling out rabbits. The backdrop becomes the sea, and a mermaid appears. She flirts and beguiles us. The mermaid becomes a woman who leaves the sea and joins the magician, who becomes Neptune.

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Plot Keywords:

mermaid | top hat | magician | trick film | fishing pole | 

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Genres:

Short | Fantasy

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Details

Country:

France

Also Known As:

The Mermaid

Company Credits

Production Co:

Star-Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

4 min

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

User Reviews

Good Visual Effects Once It Gets Going

This Georges Méliès short feature has some pretty good visual effects once it gets going. Some of the special effects are very familiar from other Méliès features, but there is also some original material that is at times quite creative.

As do a number of Méliès films, this one starts with a stage performer doing a routine. This part of it is rather bland, and although there are a couple of interesting tricks, it is really only a preface to the main sequence underwater, which is thematically set up by some tricks with fish.

Once it gets to the actual "Mermaid" sequence, the movie really hits its stride. There are a couple of times when the camera tricks are a bit obvious, and maybe not quite up to Méliès's usual standard, but most of the other shots are rather nice. As it goes along, the visuals get more elaborate and more creative, so it's worth watching all the way through despite the slow start.