13 Great Movies That Are About Movies

8) Hugo

I mentioned earlier that Martin Scorsese’s movies all seem to revel in their love of film history, but none has done so more explicitly than Hugo (it was another Oscar favorite in 2012 but was ultimately beaten by The Artist. Oh, Hollywood). He has stated that he made the movie for his daughter, particularly the decision to film it in 3D, and this motivation seems to explain both the departure in style and subject matter from his previous work, but also many of the historical elements. It would appear that he wanted to make something that would entertain young people but also educate them about some important figures that were responsible for them being able to see the very film they were watching.

Scorsese’s knowledge and love of film history is well documented, and he has stated multiple times that movies saved his life. So it’s as much of a joyful experience watching Scorsese himself in a cameo role as a photographer, and imagining his delight in recreating the famous scenes of George Méliès, as it is experiencing the adventurous story of Hugo Cabret ourselves.

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