Fantômas (A l'ombre de la guillotine)
| 1913 Crime / Thriller |  |
Credits Director:
Louis
Feuillade
Script: Louis Feuillade, d’après le roman de Pierre Souvestre and Marcel Allain Cast: René Navarre (Fantômas / Gurn), Edmond Bréon (l’inspecteur Juve), Georges Melchior (Fandor), Volbert (Valgrand), Renée Carl (Lady Beltham), Naudier (Nibet), Jane Faber (Princesse Danidoff) Runtime: 54 min, B&W, silent Summary For the arch-criminal Fantômas, no crime
is too
daring, too adventurous. A master of disguise, he has no trouble
relieving the Princess Danidoff of her priceless pearl necklace at the
Royal Palace Hotel. Inspectator Juve is determined to capture
Fantômas
and put an end to his limitless villainy. Whilst investigating
the
disappearance of Lord Beltham, Juve finds himself on the trail of his
arch-enemy
once more. He discovers that Beltham’s widow has been having a
secret
affair with a mysterious stranger, Gurn. In Gurn’s appartment, Juve
discovers
the dead body of Lord Beltham and business cards bearing the name
Fantômas.
A triumphant Juve makes an easy arrest of Gurn, alias Fantômas,
and
is sure that nothing can save the evil-doer from the
guillotine.
But Lady Beltham has an ingenious plan to save her lover, using an
actor
Valgrand who closely resembles Gurn …
Review As artistic director of the Gaumont film
company, Louis
Feuillade was keen to capitalise on the success of the Fantômas
series
of novels, written by Pierre Souvestre et Marcel Allain. These
novels
were a world-wide phenomenon in their day, their readership extending
far
beyond France, with 32 complete novels published between 1910 and
Souvestre’s
death on the eve of World War I in 1914. (Allain wrote a further
12 novels solo after the war). Feuillade envisaged a series of
films
which could at least equal the success of the original novels.
As it turned out, the original Fantômas series ran to five complete films, made between 1913 and 1914, with a total run time of just over five and a half hours. The success of the films probably exceeded even Feuillade’s expectations, unleashing something of a craze on both sides of the Atlantic, with merchandise such as miniature figures of Fantômas being very sought after. The inevitable American remake came in 1920, in a series of 20 instalments directed by Edward Sledgwick. The Fantômas phenomenon was revived in France in the 1960s, when Louis de Funès and Jean Marais starred in a three-part remake of the Fantômas series. Feuillade’s Fantômas is undoubtedly the best, introducing not just the idea of a film series, but also establishing the crime thriller. The essential ingredients of film noir and the suspense thriller can be seen in this film which, remarkably, (when you consider when the film was made) still appears surprisingly modern. Feuillade creates a dark, dreamlike universe where the elusive villain Fantômas is as much a venomous scourge as a slick debonair hero. Critics praised the film and coined the phrase réalisme fantastique, which perfectly defines the essence of the Fantômas films. A blend of imaginative surreal imagery is combined with pictures of comparative normality, giving the viewer the sensation that he is experiencing a waking nightmare. Although Feuillade did tone down the ending of this film to be less horrific than the original novel, it does have a chilling sense of realism, driven by the dramatic suspense in the narrative and the eerie use of light and shadow in the photography. Not only is the film exemplary from the point of view of its direction, but the acting is also quite impressive, to the point that you hardly notice the absence of dialogue. Although Feuillade’s motives in making this film were more to do with making money than creating a work of art, the director shows a remarkable artistic flair as well as great originality. The Fantômas series is regarded by many as one of his finest achievements, an enduring masterpiece which, after its timely restoration by Gaumont in 1998, will continue to delight and entertain generations of film enthusiasts. ©
James Travers 2001 See also:
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