HIMMELSKIBET [A TRIP TO MARS] (1918)
Updated: Jul 21, 2022
An Early, Optimistic Look at Space Travel and First Contact
Grade: A
**Possible Spoiler Alert!!**
In the first few decades of the film industry, when the medium was new and ripe for expansion, the groundwork was being laid for nearly every genre, including science fiction. The Danish film Himmelskibet, or A Trip to Mars, is one of the earliest of its kind. Not only does it stand among the first feature-length science fiction movies, but it is also one of the earliest such films to establish the complete outline for movies about interplanetary travel and first contact with aliens. In addition, while many sci-fi movies offer a pessimistic view of whatever subject they tackle, reflecting the current human condition, A Trip to Mars is filled with positivity and hope for a better future.
As mentioned above, A Trip to Mars is one of the first films to follow the outline that has become associated with space travel. First, we have the inspiration, with the main character, Avanti, deciding to travel to Mars after being told by his father about the planets. Then we have the planning and preparation as Avanti and his colleagues construct their spaceship. In the process, we have a glimpse into a world where space travel is something that requires only the knowledge and the will to succeed and is unrestrained by governments. When Avanti presents his plan to an audience of potential volunteers, he explains that he would depart when Mars and Earth are closest to each other, illustrating the attempts by the film to establish some semblance of realism several decades before spaceflight became a reality.
Next comes the launch, when Avanti’s spaceship, the Excelsior (which looks like a cross between an old-timey airplane and a small dirigible) takes off for Mars. The film’s production design does an impressive job on the spaceship’s interior, providing it with windows, beds similar to those on sleeping cars on trains, and a bridge complete with gauges and working instruments. Then the film provides obstacles for the explorers to overcome. Most subsequent space travel movies throw in asteroids or malfunctioning equipment, but A Trip to Mars instead predicts a spaceship version of cabin fever (a prediction that ultimately turned out not to be accurate) with several explorers going mad from their claustrophobic and isolated environments and attempting a mutiny, only relenting when a tractor beam from Mars brings them safely in.
Once they arrive on Mars, the movie shifts gears to become a window into what humanity sees as a perfect existence. The Mars depicted in the film is a very far cry from the cold, barren wasteland that space probes would ultimately reveal it to be, sporting a breathable atmosphere, lush vegetation, lakes, and a society of peaceful humanoids. These Martians have created an Eden-like paradise devoid of war and filled with love and goodwill. The arrival of Earthlings inevitably shakes the Martians to the core, especially after one of them shoots down a bird to show how Earthlings acquire meat for food. Things are made worse when the Martians charge the Earthlings in anger, only for one of them to be injured when an explorer lobs a grenade in self-defense.
Yet surprisingly, after this bumpy start, things rapidly calm down. The two Earthlings responsible for the trouble are justified by the Martians’ customs and vow to never again take up arms. From here, everything works out great for just about everyone. The Earthlings enjoy the Martians’ way of life and one of them even falls in love with a Martian girl in a garden of glowing flowers. The Martians help another visitor send a message back home to his beloved, and the explorer who originally instigated the mutiny declares he has been made a better man by what he has seen on Mars. And when the humans take off to go home, with the Martian love interest in tow, the society on Mars continues as normal while the union between the human and Martian provides hope that Earth can see a brighter future.
The film’s best-case scenario of first contact-wherein it does not result in the destruction of either civilization and humanity is ultimately made better-is either very optimistic or hopelessly naïve, depending on the perspective of the viewer. While it is undoubtedly a little far-fetched, it is very refreshing-especially in this day and age-to see a film depicting peaceful relations between humans and aliens while encouraging humanity to improve rather than warning of the consequences if they don’t. This, combined with the effort put into the depiction of space travel, makes A Trip to Mars a very enjoyable early entry in the science fiction genre.
Director: Holger-Madsen
Screenplay: Sophus Michaelis (the novel "Himmelskibet"), adapted by Ole Olsen
Cast: Gunnar Tonnaes (Avanti Planetaros), Zanny Petersen (Corona), Nicolai Neiiendam (Prof. Planetaros), Alf Blutecher (Dr. Kraft), Sven Kornbeck (David Dane), Phillip Bech (Martian Leader-Wise Man), Lilly Jacobson (Marya), Frederick Jacobsen (Prof. Dubius)
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