The story consists of a poor child trying to sell matched out in the snow. She is freezing to death and in desperation, she lights a few matches...during which time she imagines happy things, such as warmth, food, a Christmas tree and a sweet angel...and then the child dies and is escorted by the angel to Heaven.
One of Hans Christian Andersen's more depressing stories is "The Little Match Girl" and this 1902 movie is one of the earliest, if not the earliest versions of the story on film. It's pretty faithful to the original tale, though instead of seeing Grandma, the child sees and is taken by an angel in addition to the other happy images.
For 1902, this is actually an amazingly good film, as it uses some sophisticated techniques for the time, such as double exposures. Quite lovely for the day...and quite depressing!
One of Hans Christian Andersen's more depressing stories is "The Little Match Girl" and this 1902 movie is one of the earliest, if not the earliest versions of the story on film. It's pretty faithful to the original tale, though instead of seeing Grandma, the child sees and is taken by an angel in addition to the other happy images.
For 1902, this is actually an amazingly good film, as it uses some sophisticated techniques for the time, such as double exposures. Quite lovely for the day...and quite depressing!