Before I answer the interesting question of what I would think of it if I had been present during its first screening, I would like to clarify and quantify the following: I am a "Batang 90s," and I am inclined towards the admiration and research about astronomy. Which means, I am not only born a century after the film was made, but I also a) read Jules Verne and b) know a thing or two about astronomy. These things, and more, are integral components of what kind of opinion I have about the movie.
Here goes:
Voyage Dans La Lune is considered a masterpiece. I agree. But, I think it's not because it's the first sci-fi nor because the memorable and iconic image of the capsule landing on the eye of the moon is a widely-recognized piece in cinematic history. It's because it is a satire that illuminates the audience's eyes and minds about how conservative the scientific community of its time was. As satire, it is a critique, but you might not see it as a critique. It is brilliant because it transforms such a laden issue into something with charm - that is, it is light-hearted and, at the same time, relevant to their society.
As we have seen in the movie, the props were intended to poke fun at the "scientific community" that organized the manned mission to the moon. The moon itself is absurd. It features a face instead of what we actually see when we look at the moon at night. In part, this is because of the conscious effort to sketch the real from the imaginary, the whimsical from the scientific. The rocket ship lands on the pie-like moon and it grimaces. It's fun. Funny, even. And to think that there is a serious message behind this comedy is amazing. That, I think, requires genius.
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