Before the turn of the twentieth century, before the nickelodeon, even before the first cinemas, Georges M?li?s began making movies.. Directing, editing, producing, designing, and starring in over 500 films between 1896 to 1912, M?li?s was also the first cinematic auteur.. This is the first study of M?li?s's films to appear in English in over twenty years and the only book to interpret his work using the tools of modern film analysis.. Locates the roots of modern narrative cinema in M?li?s's work, identifying techniques of editing and mise-en-sc?ne previously thought to have originated with D. W. Griffith.Introduction - Narrative Attractions 1. M?li?s does tricks 2. Fantastic realism 3. The amazinf flying woman 4. Imaginary voyages ConclusionElizabeth Ezra teaches in the French Department at the University of StirlingBefore the turn of the twentieth century, before the nickelodeon, even before the first cinemas, Georges M?li?s began making movies.. Directing, editing, producing, designing, and starring in over 500 films between 1896 to 1912, M?li?s was also the first cinematic auteur.. This is the first study of M?li?s's films to appear in English in over twenty years and the only book to interpret his work using the tools of modern film analysis.. Locates the roots of modern narrative cinema in M?li?s's work, identifying techniques of editing and mise-en-sc?ne previously thought to have originated with D. W. Griffith.