Eureka are releasing a massive nine disc Blu-ray set of four silent crime serials directed by the hugely influential French film-maker Louis Feuillade, all in 1080p presentations from 4K restorations, with excellent music scores from the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra and Patrick Laviosa. The set also includes a 98 page book featuring new and archival writing on the films but for now, let's take a look at the serials and what extras we get:
Fantômas (1913 - 1914)
In a series of five linked films (or just one lengthy serial if you prefer), Fantômas is probably the earliest (and certainly best known) movie supervillain. In the short term the serial influenced Fritz Lang's Dr Mabuse series, but watching these it's also possible to see the groundwork being laid for the villains of James Bond and even the MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE movies. To that end here's a summary of each episode, as they're all rather fun:
Disc 1
1 In the Shadow of the Guillotine
In which Fantômas steals a large sum of money from a Princess, and is found to be responsible for the death of Lord Beltham when the man's body is found in a steamer trunk. Sentenced to death, Fantômas concocts a plan to escape the gallows with Lady Beltham.
2 Juve Vs Fantômas
In which Fantômas again faces his nemesis Inspector Juve, the man he thwarted in the previous episode. The crushed body of a woman has been discovered at the house of a doctor 'above suspicion' but guess who he is? Also includes a daring train robbery featuring some endearing model work, plus possibly the fattest policeman disguise in silent cinema. Be warned, amidst all the entertaining chasing about and an exploding house, the end of this episode does feature a python meeting what looks like a genuinely unpleasant end.
3 The Murderous Corpse
After Lady Beltham's villa exploded at the end of episode two Inspector Juve has lost his memory and disappeared, leaving it to his journalist chum Fandor to investigate the bizarre case of a convicted murderer whom we know to be innocent, who dies in police custody and whose body subsequently disappears. After this, the dastardly crimes which would usually be attributed to Fantômas all bear the dead man's fingerprints. The reason is rather gruesome in a highly entertaining pulp crime way.
Extras: David Kalat provides an engaging commentary track (recorded in 2010) for the first two episodes that's also an excellent potted history of silent cinema and how Feuillade's FANTOMAS fits in and how it influenced subsequent moviemakers, including Fritz Lang.
Disc 2
4 Fantômas Vs Fantômas
A vague rumour that Jude might actually be Fantômas leads to him being locked up while our villain plots to steal a vast sum at a charity ball. It's fancy dress which provides ample opportunity for all concerned (including the police) to don a variety of flamboyant outfits, plus more than one Fantômas turns up, too.
5 The False Magistrate
Villains steal 250,000 Francs' worth of jewels and the 250,000 Francs as well. Meanwhile Fantômas is in prison in Belgium which to the French police simply will not do. Juve springs him and impersonates him with the intention that Fantômas will return to France where he can be arrested and tried 'properly'. It all gets even more complicated when Fantômas assumes the identity of the judge presiding over the robbery.
Extras: An excellent 38 minute Kim Newman talking head piece that you need to watch after having finished the entire set as there are quite a few spoilers.
Les Vampires (1915 - 1916)
Not supernatural (unfortunately), 'The Vampires' is the name given to a criminal gang that operates in Paris. The entire serial is just under seven hours long which, if you consider it as a single work, makes it one of the longest films in existence. If you've watched FANTOMAS first you'll spot some familiar sets and locations, and once again we have a hero working with a sidekick to track down the baddies.
Disc 1 contains the first four episodes, in which reporter Phillipe Guérande, on the track of 'Les Vampires' learns that the policeman in charge of the case has been found decapitated, has to spend the night in a creepy house with sliding panels and finds the missing severed head in a box. He then gets captured after witnessing a dancer killed by a poisoned ring at the ballet, and finds a codebook that leads him to 'Irma Vep' (an anagram of vampire and played by the iconic Musidora). He avoids Irma's attempts to kill him but she and her accomplice escape over the Paris rooftops. Episodes vary from 15 minutes (episode 2) to 39 minutes (episode 3) in length and episodes 3 and 4 have commentary tracks from David Kalat who provides another excellent contextualisation of this series of films.
Disc 2 has episodes 5-7. Highlights include a scene where the vampires gas an enter ballroom full of people so they can steal their jewellery (episode five) and Musidora's pretty much see-through black bodystocking in episode seven. Beware, though, of episode six which features the killing of two bulls in a flashback sequence. Pamela Hutchinson talks about Musidora for 22 minutes in this disc's special feature.
Disc 3 contains the concluding three episodes plus a short essay (12 minutes) from Elizabeth Ezra on 'The Spectre of War in Les Vampires'
Judex (1916)
Considered by some as a precursor to more modern heroes like The Shadow and Batman, Judex is a cloaked avenger and was possibly conceived as the flip-side of FANTOMAS after critics complained to Feuillade that his previous two serials had made criminals look too good. You can certainly see the groundworks being laid for future superhero adventures here. The father of the man who will become Judex dies a miserable death caused by a villainous banker, after which our hero assembles a disparate group to help him get his revenge.
Disc 1 includes the 40 minute prologue and the first five episodes, with Tim Lucas commentaries on the prologue and the first two. Disc 2 has the remaining seven episodes (Lucas commentaries on episodes 11 and 12) giving a runtime for this serial of just under six and a half hours. The other extra on the second disc is a 30 minute piece by Neil Brand who begins by asking the entirely reasonable question for the uninitiated of why should we spend hours and hours watching old silent French serials, before launching into a lengthy and excellent answer.
Tih Minh (1918)
Tih Minh is a woman from Vietnam who, along with Jacques d'Athys, the man she comes home with after he has completed his expedition to Indo-China, becomes the target of thieves and spies. The MacGuffin in a book Athys has unwittingly brought back to France with him that contains a code leading to both government secrets and treasure.
As Neil Brand states in his extra on JUDEX Disc Two, TIH MINH is very much a case of 'one damn thing after another', its nearly six and a half hour running time filled with incident rather than plot all of which is, nevertheless, as entertaining as the other serials in this set.
Disc 1 includes episodes 1-6 with Tim Lucas commentaries on episodes 1 & 3 while Disc 2 has episodes 7-12 with a commentary on episode 12. Also included on the second disc is a 42 minute piece from Tony Rayns which gives us 'A Closer Look at Louis Feuillade'.
LOUIS FEUILLADE: THE COMPLETE CRIME SERIALS is out in a nine disc Blu-ray set from Eureka on Monday 11th November 2024
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