A 1907 film from the groundbreaking French director George Méliès. Here's a review found at IMDb.
The first decade of the twentieth century saw the production of dozens of brief "trick films" which pushed the boundaries of the new medium, and France seemed to be the capital of this activity. Georges Méliès is the best known creator of these films, but THE RED SPECTRE, which was produced at the Pathé Studio by Méliès' fellow pioneer Ferdinand Zecca, is perhaps the most bizarre and fascinating of them all-- or at least, allowing for the fact that many of these films are lost, it is certainly among the very best of the survivors. It is better seen than described, genuinely dreamlike in its images and transitions, and deeply strange, but deeply satisfying as well. The movie lasts only about 8 or 9 minutes, but when it's over you feel as if you've been permitted to visit another world. When THE RED SPECTRE was first shown the original black & white footage was hand-colored to produce a dazzling effect, and happily, colored prints survive today, and have been preserved(via Everlasting Blort)
2 comments:
The 2011 fictional movie "Hugo" (or even better, the book "The Invention of Hugo Cabret") includes a fictionalized account of the true story of the forgotten George Méliès selling toys on the streets of Paris, before being rediscovered and celebrated and eventually joining the French Legion of Honor.
That sounds quite interesting!
Post a Comment