"Right in the Eye" Brings Méliès' Silent Films to Life With Live Score
Three French musicians transformed 12 early silent films into an evening of experimental sound and theatrical wonder at San Francisco's Marina Theater.
“Right in the Eye”, created by French composer and musician Jean-François Alcoléa, captivated the audience with an intimate and theatrical environment, filled with immersive sounds.
The multimedia movie-concert featured 12 films by the pioneering French filmmaker and illusionist George Méliès, including the famous “Le Cauchemar” (A Nightmare) and “Voyage à travers l’impossible” (The Impossible Voyage).
Each movie is reimagined through a multi-layered musical performance on stage by three skilled musicians. Alcoléa, together with Fabrice Favriou and Thomas Desmartis, performed on a variety of classical instruments, such as piano and strings, while also incorporating unexpected everyday objects, like crystal glass and spoons, into their music.
“It is a whole experience,” Alcoléa said, mentioning that his idea was to share the mixing of both images and music on stage with light design. “I wanted to bring something very old from a contemporary way, creating a magical and fantastic journey, giving each film a specific identity.”
This year marked the ninth U.S. tour of Right in the Eye, and the movie-concert continues to captivate enthusiastic fans. Cindy O'Donnel, a San Francisco resident for over 30 years, shared that this was her second time experiencing the show.
“It is magical,” O'Donnel said, showing great excitement before the beginning of the performance. Last year, O'Donnel got the chance to attend the show in Santa Cruz, California, and shared that her brother is also a fan.
The Feb. 21 presentation at the Marina Theater was offered in two showtimes, drawing dozens of attendees. As the audience entered the theater, they were met with an intimate, theatrical atmosphere: dim lights, instruments placed in the corners of the stage, and a large movie screen in the middle.
The show started with a documentary about Méliès' life and work based on archival materials. The audience was then met with the fantastical scenes of moons, stars, magical creatures and stage-like illusions created by the filmmaker.
As soon as the first scene appeared on screen, the richly textured and playful sounds began, transporting the viewers to the beginning of an immersive journey. The trio worked harmoniously among themselves and with the movies, playing a variety of rhythms and sound effects that evoke different feelings and reactions in the crowd.
The performance was built with small narratives, displaying comic moments, as well as tension and suspense. After almost two hours, the show ended with a long, loud applause.
Audience members were overall impressed with the show. “It was good,” Ben Carter said, sharing that this was the most unique show he's ever been to. Carter also highlighted the richness of sound effects.
Dani Gellis said she would definitely recommend the movie-concert to others. “It was interesting to see how they built the sound, I really enjoyed it,” she added. Nicholas Sinclair did not expect the show's experimental nature. “The experimental music matches Méliès experimental film,” Sinclair said.
Right in the Eye will be on tour in the U.S. until May 4, 2026.
