The Fabulous World of Jules Verne

Based on Jules Verne’s For the Flag, the story of how a demonic millionaire wants to conquer the world with the aid of a superweapon is, for the director, the starting point for the creation of a great atlas of steampunk. We can see here both wonders of technology and wonders of nature. Balloons soar up into the clouds, submarines wander the oceans, massive machines of war raise their barrels, winches and chains are everywhere. The sun shines on the horizon, waves beat against the rocky shore, volcanoes spit smoke into the sky, and the depths of the sea teem with life. Scene after scene is styled after the classic illustrations in Verne’s books: black-and-white and full of strokes. This ostentatiously artificial yet living world was created with the help of just about every trick and effect that had been invented during the first sixty years of the existence of cinema. Among other things, The Fabulous World of Jules Verne makes use of double exposures, miniatures, and marionettes, as well as scenes involving a combination of live actors and sketched, stop-motion, and cutout animation.

Piotr Mirski