A Crazy Composer (1906) User Reviews

Such Stuff as Dreams Are Made Of

[boblipton · 10/10 · 15 March 2008]

Among the themes that Melies went through several times are those of someone who falls asleep, whether it be a ballet master, a clockmaker, or here, a composer. And while the composer's dreams comically range from an ethereal harpist to demons doing a cake-walk while chorines dance the can-can, there is always wistful undertone to them: why can't life be a little easier?

This is one of the many previously lost or infrequently seen Melies pictures that have been made available by Serge Bromberg, David Shepherd and a myriad of other hands in the newly issued DVD set GEORGES MELIES: FIRST WIZARD OF CINEMA. Required viewing for anyone interested in the history of movies ..... and a lot of fun.

Lesser Melies

[Michael_Elliott · 20 March 2010]

Crazy Composer, A (1905)

** (out of 4)

aka Le Compositeur toqué

Lesser film from Melies has a composer trying to come up with his latest piece but he's slowly going crazy from not being able to get anything good. Soon he falls asleep when a mysterious woman approaches and puts on an "act" that will give him the inspiration for his work. I was really surprised to see how lame this film was considering dreams are a subject that the director would visit quite often. This film certainly isn't anything original in terms of the story but Melies does very little with it once the entire dream sequence comes. There's very little magic on display and instead we're pretty much treated to a girlie show as various women dance around followed by some jokers jumping around everywhere. Running just over four minutes, this stuff gets pretty boring very quickly.

One of the first dream sequences in movie history

[Horst_In_Translation · 6/10 · 9 September 2013]

Georges Méliès stars as a thick-bearded compositor in this short movie from 1905. Even if it's pretty much a one-shot piece, I really liked the art direction here, the instruments on the side, the several arches and the ballerina figure who clearly inspires what is about to come. And one shouldn't forget the huge chandelier at the ceiling I had a bad feeling will fall at some point. Playing the piano in histrionic fashion till exhaustion, our hero finally dozes off on the piano stool.

Next, we get to see what he sees in his dream. A muse with a harp appears, briefly afterward a whole orchestra and several dance groups in colorful costumes the B&W fails to conceal. It's hell of a show and Méliès truly lets the mind wander in this one and all creativity is unleashed. When he finally wakes up, everything disappears as quickly as it came poof, including the master himself in a smart twist that changes everything and we realize the animated short was actually our dream.

It's a clever take on a phenomenon that, even almost 110 years after this short film was made, is still one of the big mysteries to science. I applaud you, Mr. Méliès.

Melies Dancers

[Hitchcoc · 6/10 · 16 November 2017]

The Crazy Composer is really the sleepy composer. After a weird encounter with his piano, the guy falls asleep and what follows is a series of dance numbers with various presentations, including ballet and jazz. I would have preferred to have the composer spend more time with us because he was much more interesting than the dancers.

Dream Sequence

[wes-connors · 4/10 · 19 July 2012]

A bearded man bangs on his piano, which is situated in the center of a well-furnished room. Other musical instruments are present in the room. The man seems to be testing the sturdiness of the piano. He falls off his stool but does not appear drunk. The man moves to chair in the center of the room and looks at some papers. Probably, he is a composer who is frustrated during a dry spell. Exhausted, the man falls asleep. Suddenly, magical things begin to happen. The screen is filled with women. They sing, dance, or play a musical instrument. The crazy composer ends this with a surprise.

**** Le compositeur toque (1905) Georges Melies ~ Georges Melies

A Composer's Dream

[CitizenCaine · 5/10 · 24 November 2012]

Georges Melies revisits one of his frequent motifs that of a character with an occupation who is frustrated possibly and then goes off into dreamland where things seem to be more exciting or to work themselves out. Here a composer finds himself possibly frustrated with a piece of music, conjures up the muses while asleep, and then is surrounded by various dance hall girls who at first are elegant and then grow more robust in the form of what appears to be can-can dancers near the end. The best trick shot does not appear until the very end. The film really offers nothing new for Georges Melies fans, but as with each Melies film, it's still very much viewable entertainment. ** of 4 stars.