Revisiting Masterpieces of the Horror Genre
Written and directed by Louis Feuillade, Les Vampires is a French silent crime serial, set in Paris, and starring Édouard Mathé, Musidora, and Marcel Lévesque.
Grade: A (***** out of *****)
The main characters are a journalist and his friend who are trying to stop a bizarre, flamboyant underground Apaches criminal gang, known as “the Vampires,” who are not the mythical beings their name might suggest.
They are masters of disguise, often shown in black hoods and leothards, led by four :grand vampitres,” each eventually killed off.
Produced and distributed by Feuillade’s company Gaumont, the serial consists of ten episodes, which vary in length and released at irregular intervals. It is considered one of the longest films ever made, roughly 7 hours.
Due to its stylistic similarities with Feuillade’s other crime serials Fantômas and Judex, the three are often considered tom be sort of a trilogy.
Fresh from the success of Feuillade’s previous serial, Fantômas, and facing competition from rival company Pathé, Feuillade made the film quickly and inexpensively.
Upon its initial release, Les Vampires was given negative reviews by critics for its dubious morality (its good and bad characters often use the same methods) and its lack of traditional techniques compared to other crime films.
However, it was a massive success with its wartime audience, making Musidora, who plays Irma Vep (anagram of “vampire”) a star of French cinema.
Viewers seemd to be intrigued by the notion of a double world, and a film that attacked, or atleast trued to undermine, the bourgeois social order.
The film has since come under re-evaluation and is regarded as Feuillade’s magnum opus and a cinematic masterpiece.
Recognized for developing novel styles and techniques of the thriller genre, it has influenced Hitchcock, Fritz Lang, and also inspired avant-garde cinema figures, such Luis Buñuel, Alain Resnais, and André Breton.
Plot
Episode Table
1 “The Severed Head” “La Tête coupée” 13 November 1915 33 mins.
2 “The Ring That Kills” “La Bague qui tue” 13 November 1915 15 mins.
3 “The Red Codebook” “Le Cryptogramme rouge” 4 December 1915 39 mins.
4 “The Spectre” “Le Spectre” 7 January 1916 30 mins.
5 “Dead Man’s Escape” “L’Évasion du mort” 28 January 1916 35 mins.
6 “Hypnotic Eyes” “Les Yeux qui fascinent” 24 March 1916 54 mins.
7 “Satanas” “Satanas” 15 April 1916 46 mins.
8 “The Thunder Master” “Le Maître de la foudre” 12 May 1916 52 mins.
9 “The Poisoner” “L’Homme des poisons” 2 June 1916 48 mins.
10 “The Terrible Wedding” “Les Noces sanglantes” 30 June 1916 60 mins.
