Consider the Source: The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Brian Selznick's bittersweet "Novel in Words and Pictures" inspires Martin Scorsese's upcoming 3-D family film.
- Scholastic Press
Martin Scorsese is one of those directors whose every project invites close cultural scrutiny, even his half-successes. November 23 sees the release of Scorsese’s first family film, Hugo, based on the 2007 book The Invention of Hugo Cabret. As revealed in the film’s new trailer, Hugo depicts the eponymous orphan who lives in the walls of a Parisian train station, where he tries to stay ahead of the guard and unravel a mystery involving a mechanical man, a quirky girl and some enigmatic inventors.
The material might sound like a stretch for Scorsese, but the book reveals deeper ties to film history than the trailer and a superficial description indicates. It’s written and illustrated by Brian Selznick, a relative of legendary film producer David O. Selznick. The senior Selznick’s credits include Gone With the Wind, Rebecca, Spellbound and Duel in the Sun — the latter of which just happens to be the first film that Scorsese ever saw.