One of the great
French serials, Les Vampires (1915-16), was not available in
America until 1998, when Water Bearer Films released the serial on
VHS as a four-video set. Now, Water Bearer Films and Image
Entertainment bring Louis Feuillade's classic serial to DVD. This is
a great opportunity to check out one of the all-time great serials
and discover how the European serial tradition differs from the
American tradition.
While the American serial tradition began with What Happened
to Mary (1912) and The Perils of Pauline (1914), a
parallel serial tradition developed in France and director Louis
Feuillade was its greatest practitioner. From 1913 to 1914, he
adapted a wildly popular serialized work of literature called
Fantomas and many of the elements in Fantomas
(poisons, murders, black-hooded villains, etc.) would find their way
into Les Vampires.
Filmed in 10 episodes that vary in length from 15 minutes to over
40 minutes, Les Vampires is a masterpiece of storytelling
that focuses on the exploits of a notorious band of criminals called
"the vampires" and the journalist, Philippe Guerande, who exposes
their activities. Women are lassoed as they peer out of windows and
pulled into the hands of kidnappers below. Cannons roll out of
secret panels and fire upon buildings and ships. Ballerinas stumble
and convulse in the middle of performances--the victims of
poisonings. Partygoers inhale a sweet-smelling vapor and pass
out--to arise several hours later with all their valuables missing.
Rival criminal gangs steal each others loot. Black-suited villains
run across roofs and climb the sides of buildings. Les
Vampires provides one outrageous plot twist after another as it
moves like a whirlwind through the streets of Paris and the French
countryside.
Musidora as Irma Vep in Les
Vampires. (© 1998 Film Preservation Associates. All rights
reserved.)
|
Whereas American serials frequently degenerate into a repetitive
series of struggles over a central what's-it, where the same sets
and situations get recycled ad infinitum, Les Vampires
provides us with a constantly changing canvas. Instead of using the
American cliffhanger format, in which each episode would end by
placing a hero or heroine in dire danger, Les Vampires
provides us with new situations in each episode. As a result, the
episodes can almost stand on their own (almost but not quite). In
one episode, the criminals might attempt to steal from an American
millionaire; in the next, the criminals might plot to free an
imprisoned comrade; and in the next, they might use poisonous
champagne in an attempt to murder an entire wedding party. In each
episode, the story takes off in new and unexpected directions--as if
large parts of the plot were improvised.
In fact, improvisation played a crucial role in the development
of Les Vampires. According to his biographer, Francis
Lacassin, director Feuillade would take the entire company to "the
new avenues being built at Montmartre, to the forest of
Fontainebleau, or to some quiet, deserted street picked at random.
The hazards of fate would play an important part in the
improvisation of whatever scene was on hand." This approach to
filmmaking gives Les Vampires an unpredictable rhythm, as if
anything and everything might happen. Seemingly important characters
get killed off. Strange side stories develop. Months suddenly pass.
Largely because of this unpredictable development, the
surrealists championed Les Vampires. Luis Bunuel said his
artistic models were Fantomas and Les Vampires, works
which he described as direct transcriptions of "an unwonted
reality." While Les Vampires contains a fantastic set of
events, the characters and situations never stray too far from the
plausible. Filmed during WWI, Feuillade creates an environment where
the criminals seem capable of accomplishing any feat that they
desire; however, the scenario never drifts completely into the realm
of fantasy. As a result, nothing and no one appear safe, as if an
ominous force is waiting to strike at anytime--an atmosphere no
doubt inspired by the impending dangers of WWI.
Les Vampires takes place in a world where all appearances
are deceiving. Living rooms can become gas chambers and hotel rooms
can suddenly sprout heavy artillery. Feuillade creates a frightening
world where the ordinary and mundane may suddenly be overwhelmed by
the mysterious. It's a world where security can suddenly be replaced
with chaos.
Feuillade's filmmaking technique, in which he frequently nailed
the camera in place while the actors moved in the foreground, makes
the movie feel akin to a documentary, as if we are being given a
privileged glimpse into another time period. Feuillade's simple
camera placements are frequently static, but unlike American
cinematic models, where doors and exits are typically placed at the
right or left edges of the screen, Feuillade emphasizes doors by
placing them near the center of the frame. He fills the doors with
activity as clerks carry papers to officials and criminals creep
into hotel rooms. This emphasis on doors heightens our awareness of
the exterior world and the threat posed by the vampires.
One of the greatest threats comes from a seductive female
criminal named Irma Vep (whose name is an anagram of "vampire").
Portrayed by Musidora, Irma Vep is a master of disguise who
frequently infiltrates the homes and offices of her intended victims
by posing as a maid or a clerk. But she's most fondly remembered as
a female cat burglar in black tights that accentuate her every
curve. She's a sexually-liberated character who changes lovers
several times in the course of Les Vampires. (A recent movie
titled Irma Vep pays homage to Les Vampires.)
For both the VHS and DVD versions of Les Vampires, scenes
have been tinted to match the originally intended tinting: night
exteriors are blue, night interiors are red, and day exteriors are
green. Title cards have been digitally altered to include English
text. And Robert Israel has scored the entire series with vintage
silent film compositions. In addition, the DVD version of Les
Vampires also contains two short comedies filmed by Louis
Feuillade. "For the Children" (1916) is a three-minute comedy sketch
by the cast and crew of Les Vampires, filmed to raise funds
for French war orphans. And "Bout-de-Zan and the Shirker" (1916) is
an eight-minute comedy that features child actor, Bout-de-San, who
starred in episode eight of Les Vampires.
David Shepard of The Film Preservation Associates oversaw the
restoration efforts on Les Vampires, but don't expect the
same clarity of image that he provided on Kino's The Art of
Buster Keaton. The source print for Les Vampires appears
to have been in an advanced stage of decay. Some scenes,
particularly in the final episode, are so burned out that faces
nearly disappear. Nonetheless, Les Vampires is still
wonderfully entertaining. This DVD is a revelation for serial lovers
everywhere.
Les Vampires is now available on
DVD from Image Entertainment and Water Bearer Films. Suggested
retail price: $69.99. Les Vampires in also available on VHS
as four-video set. Suggested retail price: $99.95. For more
information, we suggest you check out the Image
Entertainment and Water Bearer Films Web sites.
|