When you watch as many films as I do and especially silent films it’s always exciting and gratifying to make a new discovery that’s truly worthwhile. This set is marketed as REDISCOVERING JACQUES FEYDER FRENCH FILM MASTER and while that is certainly true based on the three films in this collection I would add that Feyder is a master filmmaker period! I knew of Feyder’s name from the Greta Garbo vehicle THE KISS made in 1929 which was her last silent film. A good film but not a great one I thought but I have since gained a greater appreciation of it after seeing this collection.
The jewel of the set is unquestionably FACES OF CHILDREN released in 1925. Shot on location in the French Alps, it tells the story of a sensitive boy’s reactions to his mother’s death and his father’s remarriage. The film is honest, understated, beautifully photographed, and performed by all with consumate skill especially Jean Forest as the boy. Photography is the principal componet in all these films as Feyder knows how to use movement within a frame for maximum impact without a lot of razzle dazzle. However he does not hesitate to use photographic tricks to emphasize a point.
CRAINQUEBILLE from 1923 tells the story of an old vegetable peddler in Paris who becomes victimized by the legal system after a simple misunderstanding. Incredible shots of Paris as it used to be are combined with portrait like closeups of the old man and the people around him. Jean Renoir had to know this film well. The film also introduces several surreal shots a la Abel Gance in depicting the world of French justice which help to magnify the old man’s plight in being trapped in a world he cannot understand. The performance of Maurice de Feraudy as the title character is nothing less than astounding while Jean Forest (from FACES OF CHILDREN) is no less remarkable.
While not the best film, my personal favorite is QUEEN OF ATLANTIS from 1921 which follows in the exotic footsteps of Louis Feuillade and Fritz Lang’s THE SPIDERS. Although very long at 163 minutes I couldn’t stop watching it thanks to incredible location photography in the Sahara desert, visually striking art direction, and the overwrought intensity of the performances which all combine into a remarkable piece of cinematic storytelling. Some contemporary reviewers have criticized Stacia Napierkowska’s title character as being too hefty to be a sex symbol but if you study your French Postcards that was the norm in those days. Think of Theda Bara in a lot less clothing. She’s no Brigitte Helm (METROPOLIS) to be sure but this film is leagues ahead of G.W. Pabst’s 1931 version of the same story known as MISTRESS OF ATLANTIS.
All three films have been lovingly restored by no less than 4 film archives and are presented by Lobster Films of Paris. They are color tinted and feature ideal new scores from Antonio Coppola and Eric le Guen. The only down side is that there are no extras whatsoever which considering the rediscovery angle is very surprising.
The Capsule Critic 