User Reviews

Mix-Up In The Gallery, A (1906)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

aka Une Chute de cinq étages

Quick two-and-a-half minute short has Georges Melies playing a photographer who is trying to get the perfect shot of a couple who enter his shop. Soon a dimwitted assistant causes a major accident, which causes the camera to go out a window where the real trouble starts. Once again we're dealt a fairly interesting short from the legendary director. Newbies won't want to check this one out first as Melies has so much better work out there but fans of his will want to see it at least once. The entire film really centers on the two jokes and for the most part both of them work well enough to get you to at least smile. What happens to the camera once it's outside the window is the main highlight here.

I laughed all the way through this and it's all because of cheap physical humor. A wedding couple is in a photographer's studio, having a picture taken. The assistant goes up a ladder, knocks over the back drop, leading to a chain reaction of events. The funniest thing is when the big camera falls on a lady and she seems like a space alien, fighting off a guy with a sword. This is a precursor to the likes of Keaton, Chaplin, and other physical comedians.

Georges Méliès was an early film genius. And, what he's known for more than anything else are film tricks as well as his great from "Voyage to the Moon". However, one thing usually NOT associated with the man is slapstick...that is low-brow humor based about punching, kicking, pratfalls and, on occasion, firing guns everywhere for no real reason! But here with "A Fall from Five Floors", clearly he shows that he knows how to do funny slapstick...which really surprised me.

The film is simple. A young couple just got married and are in a photographer's studio getting pictures taken. The assistant is no genius, as he's climbing up a ladder...knocking down the couple...causing a chain reaction which is just plain crazy! I really think instead of saying more, you should just see it.

I am glad Georges Méliès did not focus on slapstick much, as his own style was so nice...why change it? But I also liked his occasion departure into slapstick, as this is one of his better and more enjoyable films....and actually is still pretty watchable today.