Hannah Caple

Hugo Design Analysis

The world of Hugo takes place in 1920’s Paris, France. The film is based on the book
called The Invention of Hugo Cabret, written by Brian Selznick. The illustrations featured in the
book helped in the creation of the sets. Instead of shooting on location, large sets were built on a
soundstage to allow for more control. The opening scene was an exterior shot of Paris to inform
the viewer but the rest of the film was shot on a London soundstage. The set defines the mood
because it gives the viewer background and insight into each character. For example, Hugo lives
in the train station, and because his father worked with clocks his space has gears, tools, and
parts placed around to reflect that. In addition, the area leading up to Hugo’s home includes
narrow hallways, lots of pipes, and rising steam which shows that the film follows a working-
class child trying to live out his father’s legacy. Hugo also appears to have some type of dirt on
his face and is seen wearing more worn-out clothes compared to Isabelle whose look is more
refined.
The colors used in the sets make the world appear to be almost fairy-tale-like as it is a
more polished version of our world. The warm tones create an almost iridescent look that is
reminiscent of stars. The design helps tell the story of each character based on where they live
and what they wear. The viewer can decipher a character's interests, social class, and financial
status just by looking at them. In addition, the sets transport the viewer into the time and place
the film intends. The production designer of Hugo named Dante Ferretti used technical
illustrations of a train station to create the set as well as storyboard the scenes. The train station
was intended to be a recreation of the old Gare Montparnasse in Paris. The attention to detail
gives the view hints about the characters. For example, in the toy shop where Méliès works, we
see the mouse which is mainly made of gears and tools similar to clocks which clues the viewer
in on Hugo. Also, Méliès’s Glasshouse was built in the studio from existing designs to provide
accuracy and authenticity to the film. Lastly, when Hugo has his dream about the train crashing
through the station the set was a model. The train and station model was made on a ¼ scale for
over three months. As a viewer, while watching the film I was in awe of this scene.
Hugo’s design is realistic as it is meant to portray an impression of reality. The story of
Hugo is grounded in reality because it takes place in Paris in the early 1920s and follows an
average kid along his journey in solving a mystery. Although the events are unlikely, they are
possible in our current reality.
Each design choice was carefully crafted to seamlessly connect the viewer to the film.
From the first shot overlooking Paris to the train crashing through the station, the attention to
detail is impeccable. I believe that these design choices were made to ultimately transport and
awe the viewer. No matter if you are a child, film student, or seasoned critic viewing this film
Hugo is transformative.
 The first image is the black and white illustration from the book and the second image is
the recreation of that illustration in the film. The images from the book were a tremendous help
in creating the scenes in the film. They are almost identical and both do a great job of telling the
story.