‘Hugo’ is one of the most dazzling visual experiences I’ve ever had at the movies. It’s a clinic on how to use the special properties of film to tell a story. If you turned off the sound, the visuals could tell the story on their own. It’s a love note to the pioneers of cinema, and to the heights we can reach by enthusiasm alone.

As in ‘Goodfellas’, there is a long tracking shot at the beginning that sets the tone for the film and reminds us what a painterly eye for detail Scorsese brings to every project. If there was an Oscar category for establishing shots, ‘Hugo’ would be this year’s lock.

Our little protagonist lives in the walls of a great Paris train station. He takes care of the many elaborate steam-powered clocks. He is an urchin in short pants, fatherless and alone, constantly pursued by the sadistic Station Inspector, who takes him for a thief and a no-goodnik.

The story is a little convoluted, but it’s not especially important. The important takeaway is that a young boy’s indomitable curiousity thrusts him into an adventure that gives Scorcese reason to shoot pictures of gleaming clockworks, crowded train platforms, and snippets of early films he loves. You won’t see more lovingly executed cinematography, or a sweeter tribute to cinema anytime soon.

Don’t wait to see this one on your silly home theater. ‘Hugo’ deserves the full 40 feet.