Les Vampires (1915)

[Johann]

Louis Feuillade's silent film classic Les Vampires apparently played in Toronto in 2007 for Nuit Blanche. I wasn't there, but according to the Ontario Cinematheque's summer film guide it was a sensation in the city.
Clocking in at 6 hours and 39 minutes, this serial is a cornerstone of cinema history and I'm over the moon that I got to see the first 4 episodes tonight on the big screen.
The audience was treated to an improvised piano score by William O'Meara (yes improvised- I asked him after the screening if he used the original score sheet. He said no: "I made it all up").
His improvised score was wonderful. It rose and fell with each scene, with each episodes' tempo.
The first part of this film event (episodes 1-4) was 148 minutes long and the print was gorgeous. Gorgeous black and white, with flawless titles that were interpreted from the French by a young french woman and spoken through the cinematheque's P.A. system.

This surreal film is set in early 20th century Paris and was made on the down-low during World War I.
Lots of great historical outdoor shots of the Paris of 1915 are here, with rooftop shots, great cuts of interior points of view, and the end of the 4th episode even has a tri-image screen ending- very very innovative for it's time. Indeed, Feuillade was forging a cinematic style as he went along, with no one giving him inspiration. It was all practically invented on the fly. And it holds up marvellously in my humble opinion.






WARNING:SPOILERS