VAMPIRES
LES VAMPIRES
fiction, France, 1915-1916.
black & white, silent, 399 min (ten episodes)
director Louis Feuillade
screenwriter Louis Feuillade
cinematographer Manichoux
leading actors Musidora, Édouard Mathé, Marcel Lévesque, Jean Aymé, Fernand Herrmann, Stacia Napierowska
fiction, France, 1915-1916.
black & white, silent, 399 min (ten episodes)
director Louis Feuillade
screenwriter Louis Feuillade
cinematographer Manichoux
leading actors Musidora, Édouard Mathé, Marcel Lévesque, Jean Aymé, Fernand Herrmann, Stacia Napierowska
synopsis
Journalists Phillipe Guèrande (Edouard Mathé) and Mazamette (Marcel Lévesque) investigate criminal cases that have been shocking Paris lately. It seems that a mysterious gang known as The Vampires is to blame. The Vampires also have some rivals in the underworld. While the police are trying to identify the murderers of a police inspector, Guèrande goes through a personal drama when his mother gets kidnapped. At the same time, Irma Vep (Musidora), a new maid, but only in appearance, enters Guèrande's home.
about the director
Louis Feuillade (1873-1925) is one of the most important French directors in the era of silent film. He directed over 630 films. He is primarily known for the film serials Fantômas, Les Vampires and Judex. He was born in Lunel, and from the early age showed a deep interest in literature and performing arts. He arrived to Paris in 1898, hoping to become a successful writer. When he didn't succeed in his plan, he decided to try his luck as a screenwriter for Gaumont. He soon became the artistic director of the company, and dedicated himself exclusively to film making. Even though his films differ in genre, he is mostly remembered for his brilliant criminal serials and as the master of film suspense. Today, his work is described as "the fantastic realism" or "the social fantastic". His directing techniques influenced many film authors, like Fritz Lang and Alfred Hitchcock.
about the film
The film serial in ten chapters Les Vampires, directed and written by Louis Feuillade, was made in 1915 and 1916. Today it is considered as one of the originator films of the crime genre in film. The serial is composed of ten episodes which follow the exploits of the Parisian gang Les Vampires and of one of the first femme fatale in movie history, Irma Vep (anagram of "vampire"). It is Musidora, big celebrity of French silent film, who stars as Irma Vep. Musidora's real name was Jeanne Roques (1889-1957) and she also played in Feuillade's hit serial Judex. The serial fascinates by its synergy of suspenseful story, expressive performance, brilliant cinematographic solutions and director's feeling for generating suspense. It is also one of the pioneer projects of the serial narrative, which will, many years later, become the major form of the television media. Besides, whoever sees the first episode of this serial has a hard time resisting to the full story.
Episodes
1.La tête coupée (The Severed Head) 33 min. 1915.
2.La bague qui tue (The Killer Ring) 15 min. 1915.
3.Le cryptogramme rouge (The Red Cypher) 42 min. 1915.
4.Le spectre (The Ghost) 32 min. 1916.
5.L'évassion du mort (The Escaping Dead Man) 37 min. 1916.
6.Les yeux qui fascinent (The Hypnotic Gaze) 58 min. 1916.
7.Satanas (Satanas) 46 min. 1916.
8.Le maître de la foundre (The Thunder Lord) 55 min. 1916.
9.L'homme des poisons (The Poison Man) 53 min. 1916.
10.Les noces sanglantes (Marriage of Blood) 60 min. 1916.
Journalists Phillipe Guèrande (Edouard Mathé) and Mazamette (Marcel Lévesque) investigate criminal cases that have been shocking Paris lately. It seems that a mysterious gang known as The Vampires is to blame. The Vampires also have some rivals in the underworld. While the police are trying to identify the murderers of a police inspector, Guèrande goes through a personal drama when his mother gets kidnapped. At the same time, Irma Vep (Musidora), a new maid, but only in appearance, enters Guèrande's home.
about the director
Louis Feuillade (1873-1925) is one of the most important French directors in the era of silent film. He directed over 630 films. He is primarily known for the film serials Fantômas, Les Vampires and Judex. He was born in Lunel, and from the early age showed a deep interest in literature and performing arts. He arrived to Paris in 1898, hoping to become a successful writer. When he didn't succeed in his plan, he decided to try his luck as a screenwriter for Gaumont. He soon became the artistic director of the company, and dedicated himself exclusively to film making. Even though his films differ in genre, he is mostly remembered for his brilliant criminal serials and as the master of film suspense. Today, his work is described as "the fantastic realism" or "the social fantastic". His directing techniques influenced many film authors, like Fritz Lang and Alfred Hitchcock.
about the film
The film serial in ten chapters Les Vampires, directed and written by Louis Feuillade, was made in 1915 and 1916. Today it is considered as one of the originator films of the crime genre in film. The serial is composed of ten episodes which follow the exploits of the Parisian gang Les Vampires and of one of the first femme fatale in movie history, Irma Vep (anagram of "vampire"). It is Musidora, big celebrity of French silent film, who stars as Irma Vep. Musidora's real name was Jeanne Roques (1889-1957) and she also played in Feuillade's hit serial Judex. The serial fascinates by its synergy of suspenseful story, expressive performance, brilliant cinematographic solutions and director's feeling for generating suspense. It is also one of the pioneer projects of the serial narrative, which will, many years later, become the major form of the television media. Besides, whoever sees the first episode of this serial has a hard time resisting to the full story.
Episodes
1.La tête coupée (The Severed Head) 33 min. 1915.
2.La bague qui tue (The Killer Ring) 15 min. 1915.
3.Le cryptogramme rouge (The Red Cypher) 42 min. 1915.
4.Le spectre (The Ghost) 32 min. 1916.
5.L'évassion du mort (The Escaping Dead Man) 37 min. 1916.
6.Les yeux qui fascinent (The Hypnotic Gaze) 58 min. 1916.
7.Satanas (Satanas) 46 min. 1916.
8.Le maître de la foundre (The Thunder Lord) 55 min. 1916.
9.L'homme des poisons (The Poison Man) 53 min. 1916.
10.Les noces sanglantes (Marriage of Blood) 60 min. 1916.