The Merry Frolics of Satan (1906)

The Merry Frolics of Satan Review

The Merry Frolics of Satan is a 1906 silent short film directed by George Melies. It is an expectedly admirable, fantastical effort from the director.

The only problem here is the plot. I mean the plot itself is quite good, but it isn’t particularly well explained and it should have had some intertitles in it. But regardless of that, it is such a splendid movie that is again ahead of its time. George Melies excels at these kinds of fantastical featurettes and this is no exception. The plot is so wild and imaginative as are its visuals and almost every sequence is just fascinating to watch.

Let’s talk about those magnificent technical aspects. The action and chases are so good as is its humor. But the standout are its special effects which are just unbelievable. I was amazed at some of the stuff that unfolded in front of my eyes. The imagery is superb, the color photography is gorgeous and the set design is just marvelous. The various tricks that he did here paid off as the movie consistently looks great and even groundbreaking and it deserves a lot of praise for centuries to come.

The Merry Frolics of Satan has awesome photography, great sets, imaginative story and such marvelous special effects leading to such a great film.

My Rating – 4.5