Journalist Phlipe Guérande (Édouard Mathé) and his sidekick Mazamette (Marcel Lévesque) are on the trail of an occult gang of murderers known as Les Vampires. A landmark in the development of the crime drama and avant-garde cinema, what this surreal serial lacks in technical polish it makes up for in atmosphere, while Musidora steals the show as the evil Irma Vep. Kino’s 2-disc Blu-ray presents a 1996 restoration adequately, while the sound is excellent. Sadly, it has not treated the film to any extras of note.
Studio: Kino
Year: 1915-1916
Rated: NR
Length: 399 Minutes
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Resolution: 1080p
Languages: Silent with 2.0 LPCM Stereo orchestral score
Subtitles: English
MSRP: $39.95
Film Release Date: November 13, 1915
Disc Release Date: August 14, 2012
Review Date: September 23, 2012
The Movie:
3.5/5
The process of filmmaking is a long, often tedious process; a single film can take a year or more to complete, and the phrase “hurry up and wait” is a common one on many shoots. However, in the early days of cinema, before features became the norm, Louis Feuillade (1873-1925) made an estimated 800 individual films over a 17-year period beginning in 1906! His 1915-1916 serial, Les Vampires, is one of his most famous works.
The labyrinthine story is divided into ten individual chapters that range in length from 15 to 60 minutes. It follows the exploits of Parisian newspaper reporter Philipe Guérande (Édouard Mathé) in his attempts to expose the criminal activities of an occult gang known as the Vampires. His first stop is to Saint-Clemens-Sur-Cher, where Inspector Durtal, the head security agent investigating the Vampires, was found in the swamps decapitated. After his hosts, Dr. Nox (Jean Aymé) and Mrs. Simpson (Rita Herlor), turn up dead, Philipe receives a message from the Grand Vampire (Jean Aymé). After Philipe’s fiancée Marfa (Stacia Napierkowska) dies from a poison ring she received from the Grand Inquisitor to prevent her from revealing the gang’s activities in a ballet performance, Philipe follows him back to an abandoned fort. The Vampires capture him, but he convinces the guard, Oscar-Cloud Mazamette (Marcel Lévesque), to help him. Together, they follow the Grand Vampire, the mysterious femme fatale Irma Vep (Musidora) and their criminal cohorts as they terrorize the city.
At 399 minutes, when watched in one sitting, Les Vampires is one of the longest films ever released to the public. However, they are best enjoyed one at a time in order to savor the often surreal plot developments. While Mathé is not the most dynamic hero, Musidora’s Irma Vep is one of the most memorable villains of early cinema. Noted for her dark, shadowy appearance, defined by dark eye shadow and a slinky black unitard, she makes her first appearance in the third chapter, “The Red Codebook,” quickly becoming the most interesting character in the film. It’s no wonder her character became a cult icon, inspiring, among other things, Charles Ludlam’s 1984 play The Mystery of Irma Vep and the Olivier Assayas’ unrelated 1996 film Irma Vep. Technically, Feuillade’s camerawork is very utilitarian, choosing long, static shots over the then-new cross-cutting techniques, which is largely because of the way the film was made: quickly and cheaply, with many scenes simply improvised. Nevertheless, the film’s cheapness contributes to the fealing of surrealism throughout.
Despite the ongoing World War I and contemporary critics’ hatred for the film and its genre, the French public flocked to see it. comparing the film’s long, static takes unfavorably to the artistic breakthroughs of The Birth of a Nation. It was not until long after Feuillade’s death that critics recognized its influence on the thrillers of Alfred Hitchcock and Fritz Lang and the avant-garde, surrealist fantasies of Luis Buñuel.
The Video:
3/5
Comfortably spread out over two discs, the films are presented in their original 1.33:1 aspect ratio. Restored by Gaumont and Cinematheque Français in 1996, Kino’s transfer is a good representation of what they were able to do 16 years ago. However, the films show a good deal of their 97 years on the screen. Dust, scratches and other anomalies are common, while brightness and contrast fluctuate. However, the sharpness is good, revealing a good amount of fine detail in close-ups.
The Audio:
4.5/5
The films have a newly recorded score composed and performed by the five-piece Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra. Presented as a 2.0 LPCM track, the score is rich yet elegant and complements the action beautifully. It has no hissing, popping or anything to create a distraction, while the stereo separation is strong.
The Extras:
0.5/5
The only extra is a relatively recent trailer (SD, 3:00) for Feuillade’s prior serial, Fantomas.
Final Score:
3.5/5
One of the longest commercially released films ever made and one of the most influential, Les Vampires weaves a bizarre web of twists and turns with every chapter. Its surreal atmosphere makes up for its seemingly rushed production, while Musidora leaves a distinct impression as Irma Vep. Kino’s warts-and-all representation of the 1996 Gaumont restoration does a good job of showing what was state of the art at the time, while the new score sounds excellent.
Studio: Kino
Year: 1915-1916
Rated: NR
Length: 399 Minutes
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Resolution: 1080p
Languages: Silent with 2.0 LPCM Stereo orchestral score
Subtitles: English
MSRP: $39.95
Film Release Date: November 13, 1915
Disc Release Date: August 14, 2012
Review Date: September 23, 2012
The Movie:
3.5/5
The process of filmmaking is a long, often tedious process; a single film can take a year or more to complete, and the phrase “hurry up and wait” is a common one on many shoots. However, in the early days of cinema, before features became the norm, Louis Feuillade (1873-1925) made an estimated 800 individual films over a 17-year period beginning in 1906! His 1915-1916 serial, Les Vampires, is one of his most famous works.
The labyrinthine story is divided into ten individual chapters that range in length from 15 to 60 minutes. It follows the exploits of Parisian newspaper reporter Philipe Guérande (Édouard Mathé) in his attempts to expose the criminal activities of an occult gang known as the Vampires. His first stop is to Saint-Clemens-Sur-Cher, where Inspector Durtal, the head security agent investigating the Vampires, was found in the swamps decapitated. After his hosts, Dr. Nox (Jean Aymé) and Mrs. Simpson (Rita Herlor), turn up dead, Philipe receives a message from the Grand Vampire (Jean Aymé). After Philipe’s fiancée Marfa (Stacia Napierkowska) dies from a poison ring she received from the Grand Inquisitor to prevent her from revealing the gang’s activities in a ballet performance, Philipe follows him back to an abandoned fort. The Vampires capture him, but he convinces the guard, Oscar-Cloud Mazamette (Marcel Lévesque), to help him. Together, they follow the Grand Vampire, the mysterious femme fatale Irma Vep (Musidora) and their criminal cohorts as they terrorize the city.
At 399 minutes, when watched in one sitting, Les Vampires is one of the longest films ever released to the public. However, they are best enjoyed one at a time in order to savor the often surreal plot developments. While Mathé is not the most dynamic hero, Musidora’s Irma Vep is one of the most memorable villains of early cinema. Noted for her dark, shadowy appearance, defined by dark eye shadow and a slinky black unitard, she makes her first appearance in the third chapter, “The Red Codebook,” quickly becoming the most interesting character in the film. It’s no wonder her character became a cult icon, inspiring, among other things, Charles Ludlam’s 1984 play The Mystery of Irma Vep and the Olivier Assayas’ unrelated 1996 film Irma Vep. Technically, Feuillade’s camerawork is very utilitarian, choosing long, static shots over the then-new cross-cutting techniques, which is largely because of the way the film was made: quickly and cheaply, with many scenes simply improvised. Nevertheless, the film’s cheapness contributes to the fealing of surrealism throughout.
Despite the ongoing World War I and contemporary critics’ hatred for the film and its genre, the French public flocked to see it. comparing the film’s long, static takes unfavorably to the artistic breakthroughs of The Birth of a Nation. It was not until long after Feuillade’s death that critics recognized its influence on the thrillers of Alfred Hitchcock and Fritz Lang and the avant-garde, surrealist fantasies of Luis Buñuel.
The Video:
3/5
Comfortably spread out over two discs, the films are presented in their original 1.33:1 aspect ratio. Restored by Gaumont and Cinematheque Français in 1996, Kino’s transfer is a good representation of what they were able to do 16 years ago. However, the films show a good deal of their 97 years on the screen. Dust, scratches and other anomalies are common, while brightness and contrast fluctuate. However, the sharpness is good, revealing a good amount of fine detail in close-ups.
The Audio:
4.5/5
The films have a newly recorded score composed and performed by the five-piece Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra. Presented as a 2.0 LPCM track, the score is rich yet elegant and complements the action beautifully. It has no hissing, popping or anything to create a distraction, while the stereo separation is strong.
The Extras:
0.5/5
The only extra is a relatively recent trailer (SD, 3:00) for Feuillade’s prior serial, Fantomas.
Final Score:
3.5/5
One of the longest commercially released films ever made and one of the most influential, Les Vampires weaves a bizarre web of twists and turns with every chapter. Its surreal atmosphere makes up for its seemingly rushed production, while Musidora leaves a distinct impression as Irma Vep. Kino’s warts-and-all representation of the 1996 Gaumont restoration does a good job of showing what was state of the art at the time, while the new score sounds excellent.
