If you have never seen Georges Franju’s 1963 remake of Louis Feuillade’s 1917 serial JUDEX then you owe it to yourself to catch this remarkable film. Franju (1912-1987) is best remembered for his poetic, much copied horror film EYES WITHOUT A FACE (1959) but he made a number of other movies including this as well as the shocking pre-PETA documentary THE BLOOD OF THE BEASTS (1949) which was filmed inside a French slaughterhouse. He was also a co-founder of France’s Cinemateque Francaise and his movies bear the striking visual look of older films especially silents. Once you’ve seen one of Franju’s film, it’s unlikely that you’ll forget it. His last film, NUITS ROUGE (1974), was a remake of the 1914 Feuillade serial FANTOMAS.
After the international success of EYES, Franju decided to pay homage to France’s great serial filmmaker Louis Feuillade (1873-1925) whose LES VAMPIRES (1916) would influence crime and crimefighter films for decades. He chose JUDEX because of its BATMAN like qualities which he thought a modern audience could relate to. Although set in 1917 and shot in stunning black & white, the film is deliberately anachronistic with contemporary fashions and make-up and the overall look of the French New Wave. American magician Channing Pollock makes a suitably imposing Judex although he’s dubbed and the young Edith Scob (HOLY MOTORS) is a thoughtful if somewhat melancholy damsel-in-distress. The score by Maurice Jarre complements the action perfectly.
The show belongs to Francine Berge’ (just as it did her predecessor Musidora) as the villainous Diana Monti. Her black outfit is straight out of THE AVENGERS although Diana Rigg’s Emma Peel wouldn’t show up until 2 years later. The story is essentially the same as the silent. An unscrupulous banker “dies” in the film’s most remarkable set piece only to find himself captive of a black clad figure (complete with cape) intent on justice. Meanwhile a greedy governess plans to murder his daughter in the hopes of getting the family’s money. After a series of abductions, rescues and narrow escapes, all works out for the best. This was reportedly illustrator Edward Gorey’s favorite movie and it is truly one-of-a-kind. The Criterion Blu-Ray and the DVD transfers are stunning!
The Capsule Critic 