Hugo Cabret

 

 
( If you lose your purpose, it's like you're broken )
 

Personality; 

At the beginning of the film, Hugo is an orphan living in the walls of a Paris train station, unknown to the world, and without an understanding of how he came to be in this situation. Why is he alone? That is Hugo’s real question and his loneliness is a very large part of what motivates him. However, there is no way to answer that question and no one left he can ask, so his hope all rests on his father’s automaton and the possibility that if Hugo can fix it then perhaps it will give him the answer via a message from his father. But parts of the automaton are missing and he must steal in order to fix it as well as to simply feed himself. This becomes something of a point of shame for Hugo, having to do something he loathes, stealing, in order to survive and accomplish his goal. He breaks his usual silence to stubbornly correct those who call him a ‘thief.’ 

 

In his need to remain unseen, as being caught and sent to the orphanage would prevent him from finishing his work on the automaton, Hugo constantly demonstrates his quick thinking and determination. He has found and made use of countless passageways, nooks, and crannies within the train station to act as his escape routes and roads between the clocks when he is setting them. This also results in a keen eye for observation, as Hugo spends much of his time peering at the world through the glass panels in the clocks and discerning traits and quirks of people he’s never even met before. While he remains a highly internalized boy, quiet and almost indifferent on the outside, he is intensely curious as well as imaginative at his core. He loves films and books about adventures, having grown up with stories of Robin Hood and books by Jules Verne. As the son of a clockmaker, he is also incredibly talented with his hands and has a knack for inventions and repairs. The theme of fixing things, and feeling sad when something or someone is broken or purposeless, becomes a defining trait of Hugo’s character. 

 

Throughout the course of the film, Hugo becomes more outgoing and dares, for the first time since his uncle brought him there, to leave the train station. First in pursuit of Melies who has taken his notebook, and then more and more with the adventurous nature of Isabelle which begins to bring out the wonder and awe in Hugo. He begins to loosen his grip on the need to always be serious and working towards his goal of fixing the automaton, and instead begins to allow for flights of fantasy and curiosity. His love of film and stories become revived through his friendship with Isabelle. His interest in magic and illusions is nurtured in his budding relationship with Georges Melies, who although stern, begins to take Hugo under his wing when the boy is working in his shop. Hugo begins, although slowly, to trust Isabelle and Melies. In addition, he begins to express himself more openly, and shifts from his internalized nature, a nature of silent stares and serious expressions, to a boy who laughs and talks excitedly about films in which rockets fly into the eye of the man in the moon. He even begins to tell Isabelle about his life before the train station, and finally what happened to his father when before he would answer questions on the matter with a dismissive "I don't want to talk about it". However, the transition is not an immediate nor complete one, as is seen when Isabelle finally asks to see Hugo's home, the one in the walls, and his closed off nature returns without fault. Perhaps out of shame or self-protection, Hugo tries to dismiss the request with a curt and vague response, reverting back to the Hugo of the beginning of the film. Thus it can be seen that Hugo is caught between the more open adventuring side of himself and the side that says to keep to himself and survive. He witnesses another orphan being caught by the station inspector, and yet can do no more than watch. To try and help would in turn get himself caught, and that is not something he can risk. However, he does risk himself when Isabelle falls amidst a wave of passengers disembarking from a train and he dives amidst the crowd to help her, furthermore he risks himself in order to retrieve Melies' automaton and return it to him, putting himself at the mercy of the station inspector and his dog. This shows both a great sense of loyalty as well as a developing determination and courage in Hugo, as well as his desperation when he is finally caught and tearfully exclaims that this is his last chance to work, to have a purpose. It is a culmination of how alone and without answers he's been. He's come such a long way, but still he does not know why his father is gone. 

 

Hugo waited in the shadows, holding his breath and tucking his legs in against himself until the sound of footprints grew more and more distant. Only then, when they had faded out of earshot, did he exhale and dare to peek out of the door. However, even in the silence the tightness in his chest and tenseness that drew his muscles tight lingered. It made his shoulders gather up defensively and his gait stiff like a toy soldier as he ventured forth. It was as if were still waiting for a large gruff hand to reach out and grab him from behind and to send him away forever. 

 

Even in this place where those hands were so far away, where that man was not making him bait for his dog, Hugo still felt him as if he were only a few steps behind. 

 

Habits developed for one’s own survival were hard to be rid of, and really nothing had changed. Whether or not the station inspector was here, Hugo was still surviving. Just because he was free from the threat of the orphanage for the moment did not mean he wouldn’t wake up from this strange dream at some point and find himself on the train station floor, the sound of barking and yelling coming at him at full speed. Should that happen, he would have to be ready to run and hide again. 

And now, worst of all, he was without his automaton. Notebook cradled safely in his pocket, it was useless if he couldn't use it to work. His instinct told him to gather small pieces of metal, little needles that could be tools, and a precious loose gear if he could find one, but then he'd stop and look at his hand with a frown. He had pieces, but no place for them to go. 

It was a familiar feeling.