Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Detectives Beyond Borders meets Fantômas, plus a question for readers

I've begun my journey down the roads where Noircon 2010 will lead me.

Fantômas, first of Louis Feuillade's five French silent films from 1913 and 1914 about the master-of-disguise thief and anti-hero, included two silhouette shots, one of which John Ford might well have had in mind when he repeatedly framed characters in doorways in The Searchers.

The movie's moral ambivalence and inconclusive ending were not what I expected from a 1913 film serial; I'll be watching further episodes.

Next up, Pierre Souvestre and Marcel Allain's original 1911 novel, Fantômas.
***
The Web site to which most links in this post take you is rich with articles on such subjects as "Fantômas & the avant-garde" and "Pulp surrealism." Juan Gris included a Fantômas novel in one of his paintings, for example, and René Magritte used the character as a direct source for several paintings.

Offhand, I can think of no other figure from popular culture who held such fascination for high culture. Can you?

© Peter Rozovsky 2010

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51 Comments:

Blogger Sean Patrick Reardon said...

Going to have to check out the links and do some reading to better understand, but for starters how about Andy Wharhol or F.Scott Fitzgerald. Both seemed to be enamored with high culture

November 10, 2010  
Blogger Paul D Brazill said...

Fantamos has been on the edge of my vision for a bit so this seems a good propmt to take a better look.

November 10, 2010  
Blogger seana graham said...

I read Fantomas some years ago--some publisher had the idea of reprinting them in mass market. I really enjoyed it, though don't remember all that much about the details. But I do know that I wanted to read more, and I don't think I ever tracked down the second story.

November 10, 2010  
Blogger Peter Rozovsky said...

Sean, I don't know where to put Andy Warhol in a discussion like this. The Fantomas movies, which I'm guessing were intended for a mass audience, drew the attention of all avant-garde artists. Warhol, whom someone once called a philosopher rather than an artist, broke down distinctions between high and low, or rather got people who could afford it to pay high-art-style prices for bits of mass culture. So he was a hell of a businessman, too.

November 10, 2010  
Blogger Peter Rozovsky said...

Paul, this might indeed be a good time to explore Fantômas. Next year is the centennial of the character's first appearance, and I found references to events that will mark the occasion, including one in Philadelphia.

Presumably these events might include bringing books back into print, though I think some are already in print in relatively recent editions.

November 10, 2010  
Blogger Peter Rozovsky said...

Seana, here's the "novels" link from the Fantomas Web site. It appears that William Morrow reprinted several of the books in the 1980s, and some are or were available in Dover editions. The first book, at least, is also available on Project Guternberg. I would assume that the second book is also in the public domain and thus possibly available in a Dover edition or online.

November 10, 2010  
Blogger michael said...

Several of the Fantomus books are available at Amazon. This is one time it appears more titles exist on e-book than in print.

Remember this was a time when anarchy was a political movement. There were several anti-heroes out there from EW Hornung's AJ Raffles to Maurice Leblanc's Arsene Lupin. Many like Lupin were in reaction to Sherlock Holmes as well.

As for your question, the comic strip Krazy Kat by George Herriman had a large audience with those in high culture.

November 10, 2010  
Blogger Peter Rozovsky said...

And that could make the current Fantomas publications some of the relatively few examples of what e-books are good for.

Thanks for the examples. It has to be significant that Fantomas and Krazy Kat started right around the same time. I know readers today, including cartoonists, continue to find much of interest in Krazy Kat. I didn't know the strip had followers in the high culture of its own time. Did that influence exert itself on arists in other media, as Fantomas did with Juan Gris and Magritte?

November 10, 2010  
Anonymous Elisabeth said...

"The movie's moral ambivalence and inconclusive ending were not what I expected from a 1913 film serial."

Peter, I'm curious. What were you expecting from a 1913 "moving picture" serial?

November 10, 2010  
Blogger Peter Rozovsky said...

Hmm, I don't know what I was expecting, since I don't think I'd heard of Fantomas before Noircon. Adventure with clear lines between good and evil and no doubt about which would win, maybe. But one of the crimes was especially shocking and would be so today, never mind in a movie almost 100 years old.

And Fantomas' lover, Lady Beltham, shows a mix of attraction and repulsion that surprised me.

November 10, 2010  
Anonymous Elisabeth said...

I ask because I'm always interested in the reactions of viewers who may not have seen many silent films. And (pleasant) "surprise" is, happily, a frequent response.

I imagine during your research you saw reference to 2 of Feuillade's other crime serials readily available on DVD: "Les Vampires," (1915-16), and "Judex," (1916-17).

There were, certainly, many silent films of the type you said you might be expecting, but plenty of silent films deal with more complex themes and subjects that disappeared with the advent of sound and later, in the US, with the studios' adoption of the Hays Code in the early 1930s.

November 10, 2010  
Blogger michael said...

Krazy Kat was considered an example of American Dadaism by many intellectuals. Art critic Gilbert Seldes included the comic in his book "The Seven Lively Arts". There was a jazz ballet by John Alden Carpenters that received a positive review from the NY Times. Besides a virtual who's who in the art world, the comic's fans included H.L. Mencken, Willem de Kooning and Jack Kerouac. The forward for the first book collection was written by the poet ee cummings.

November 10, 2010  
Blogger Peter Rozovsky said...

I am happy to report that Les Vampires and Judex are both available at my local movie store. And next year's centennial of Fantômas could create residual interest in Feuillade as well.

I have some tentative conclusions based on my viewing of Fantômas and Juve contre Fantômas, but I'll wait until I've watched a few more episodes before I say much more. Suffice it to say that the shocking crime to which I alluded above (in Juve contre Fantômas) was enough to justify Fantômas' inclusion in a noir festival.

November 11, 2010  
Blogger Peter Rozovsky said...

Michael, that's quite a list. I wonder if any of the bound editions of Krazy Kat discuss why the strip appealed to the folks you mentioned. I like the strip's odd-looking landscapes, but Krazy Kat has never attracted me as much as I thought a comic strip of its reputation ought to. A good, solid critical essay about its reception could do the trick.

November 11, 2010  
Blogger Peter Rozovsky said...

Elisabeth, I forgot to mention that the Noircon presentation on Fantômas touched on Judex and Les Vampires as well.

The David White who was one of the Noircon session's two presenters wrote this book, by the way, and seemed well-versed in his subject. The session, which dealt with the silent films in some detail, was a highlight of the conference for a number of attendees.

November 11, 2010  
Anonymous Elisabeth said...

There are a number of German silent films in particular that would, I think, be of interest to lovers of all things noir (oder Schwarz...).

And avid readers can make for receptive silent film viewers; they aren't daunted by the intertitles (heck, they love to read!) and tend to have long attention spans.

Perhaps future cons might feature other silent films...?

November 11, 2010  
Blogger Peter Rozovsky said...

Boy, I'm glad it was French film critics rather than Germans who first championed black-and-white American crime movies of the middle of the last century. Film schwarz somehow lacks the zing of film noir. Do Germans have a special term for crime movies, or do they just call them krimis, as they do with books?

I was surprised at how few intertitles the Fantômas movies include.

And certainly, future cons might feature silent films, either relating to the main subject of a session, as with Fantômas, or as the subject of a session themselves. All Noircon would need is the right person to lead such a session.

November 11, 2010  
Blogger michael said...

I have to spend too much effort to understand the joke to really enjoy "Krazy Kat".

Try the book "Comics As Culture" by M. Thomas Inge (Chapter 4 Krazy Kat as American Dada Art).

"Some Say It With a Brick": George Herriman's Krazy Kat
by Elisabeth Crocker
http://www2iath.virginia.edu/crocker
The essay goes into great detail about the humor and uses examples. I liked the telephone gag, but especially when it is explained to me.

November 11, 2010  
Blogger Peter Rozovsky said...

Thanks. The link doesn't work, but I can search by the author's name. I never thought I'd see the day when I'd have to read an essay published by a university press in order to understand a comic strip.

November 11, 2010  
Blogger Tales from the Birch Wood. said...

There is a book by Charles Affron about Lillian Gish that you might find useful.

It's in Google books and there is reference to high culture being the only suitable vehicle for such an artist.

All her films ran interminably on 1960's TV and I'm afraid they probably contributed to my happy state of cultural philistinism ever since.

November 11, 2010  
Blogger The Celtic Kagemusha said...

Peter I've seen complete DVD 'Fantomas' and 'Vampires' sets.
The latter seems to be the more acclaimed, but I thought 'Fantomas' far superior.
I was pleasantly surprised by the high quality of the script, the pacing, and the plotlines, as I had been expecting pulp quality, a la the Hollywood 'Batman' and 'Flash Gordon' serials.
Excellent picture quality on both DVDs

November 11, 2010  
Blogger Peter Rozovsky said...

Tales, years ago I read Kevin Brownlow's book "The Parade's Gone By" about the silent era. All I remember is that it brought the era to life beyond the towering personalities of Keaton and Chaplin and that it did not hit readers over the head with High Art.

November 11, 2010  
Anonymous Elisabeth said...

Peter, I believe Kriminalliteratur, Krimi for short, is the standard German term for crime fiction.

And I agree, "film schwarz" doesn't cut it. Lacks the seductive quality of the French word "noir".

Some of the very best silent films employed intertitles sparingly. And the films were better for it. It's really a very different medium than the "talkies," isn't it?

TCK, I agree with you that "Fantômas" is superior to "Les Vampires." I've seen the latter on the big screen and, with the exception of the moody lighting and beautiful tinting, was disappointed with the plot and esp. the pacing, as you too noticed.

Silent serials could be of the "Flash Gordon" type, ex. "The Perils of Pauline" and its imitations. But "serial" was not synonymous with "pre-feature filler" as it was in the sound era.

November 11, 2010  
Blogger Peter Rozovsky said...

TCK, Elisabeth will be pleased at your pleasant surprise, as she was at mine.

Fantomas has surprised me for the same reason it surprised you: thre pacing and the script. Not only are the films un-pulpy, they are also devoid of attention-grabbing technological gimcrackery. They are effective, surprisingly dark storytelling. I am reading the first Fantomas novel now, and it shows similar qualities.
TCK, Elisabeth will be pleased at your pleasant surprise, as she was at mine.

Fantomas has surprised me for the same reason it surprised you: thre pacing and the script. Not only are the films un-pulpy, they are also devoid of attention-grabbing technological gimcrackery. They are effective, surprisingly dark storytelling. I am reading the first Fantomas novel now, and it shows similar qualities.

I also like the scores with which the DVD versions have been provided.

November 11, 2010  
Blogger The Celtic Kagemusha said...

Peter and Elisabeth, you might be interested to check out the films which led me to 'Fantomas': Georges Franju's remake of 'Judex' (I haven't yet seen the original, though) and his later 'Nuits Rouges'.
Franju's love of Feuillades work is evident in 'Judex' where he displays a wonderfully light, but well-paced and suspense-filled touch. I'd describe it as being more 'spirit' than 'pastiche'.

'Nuits Rouges' is a lesser work, but still hugely enjoyable; think of it as a superior, more inventive version of a 'New Avengers' story.

Both available on Region Two DVD; I'm not sure about Region One availability

November 11, 2010  
Anonymous Elisabeth said...

Peter, interesting that you mention Kevin Brownlow's "The Parade's Gone By" -- what a marvelous book! KB's fantastic series about the history of silent film in the US, "Hollywood: A Celebration of the American Silent Film" was based on it. KB is responsible for many important silent (and non-silent) film restorations AND will receive an Honorary Oscar for his work this Saturday, right up the street from me at the Hollywood & Highland complex. I'm quite excited for him.

November 11, 2010  
Blogger Peter Rozovsky said...

Elisabeth, "krimi" is the standard German term for crime fiction, but I don't know whether it's used for movies as well. South Africans, at least English- and, I think, Afrikaans-speaking ones, use "krimi" as well.

Part of the reason for my surprise at the Fantomas silents is that I think our debased age is accustomed to looking for schlock on the one hand and technical wizardry on the other. We're not used to enjoying a well-told story.

November 11, 2010  
Anonymous Elisabeth said...

Sorry about that, Peter. You did ask about the German word for crime movies. Yep, it's also "Krimi" (Kriminalfilm).

Funny you should mention "technical wizardry"; it was an enormously popular component of many early silents. You've probably seen some of Georges Méliès' films, for ex. He'd have loved CGI!

November 11, 2010  
Blogger Peter Rozovsky said...

TCK, it might be interesing to see the original Judex and then the remake. But I still have some Fantomas left to go. Thanks.

November 11, 2010  
Blogger Peter Rozovsky said...

Elisabeth, I still must have a copy of The Parade's Gone By (a wonderful title) around the house somewhere. I'll have to look for it. Sounds as if his will be a well-deserved Oscar.

November 11, 2010  
Blogger Peter Rozovsky said...

Krimifilm. That makes sense.

Did I mention that the main art museum in Houston had an exhibit of moon-related art when I was there last year? This included continuous screenings of movies related to the moon, so I got to watch a fair chunk of "A Trip to the Moon." It was pretty charming.

November 11, 2010  
Blogger The Celtic Kagemusha said...

Peter, yeah, I'll get around to 'Judex' one of these days.

Its just that too much of a good thing can be bad for you sometimes, so after watching the other two in quick succession, I just put 'Judex' on the back burner

November 11, 2010  
Blogger Peter Rozovsky said...

Yeah, I tend to OD when I discover something new.

I was ready to rent Judex and Les Vampires the other night and thought only at the last minute of asking after Fantomas, which was fortunately available in the new-release section.

November 11, 2010  
Anonymous Elisabeth said...

Speaking of "Fantômas" and silent films... You know that marvelous lithograph poster of an enormous Fantômas looming over the city? It reminded me of an equally beautiful lithograph poster in the entrance hall of the Academy's Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study on Vine St.

It was for the Italian film, "Filibus," 1915, and I mention it not because of its beauty but for the film's storyline. A woman criminal, an air pirate,the Baroness Troixmonde (Filibus) who commits her thefts, etc. and then retreats to the safety of her zeppelin! In a wonderful early feminist plot element, Filibus's "airship is manned by a staff of mask-wearing, black-skin-suit-clad male lackeys who instantly obey the Baroness' every command." The hapless Detective Hardy, puny male that he is, is no match for Filibus!

The quote above is from a webpage with a mouthwatering image of the poster and you can see it here.

November 11, 2010  
Blogger Peter Rozovsky said...

That's not a bad-looking poster. Is Filibus the first female supervillain?

November 12, 2010  
Anonymous Elisabeth said...

"Is Filibus the first female supervillain?"

Good question; to which I don't have an answer. Certainly the WWI period and after provided plenty of plot lines for female spies and other assorted bad girls. But on the scale of Filibus? I just don't know of any offhand.

November 12, 2010  
Blogger Peter Rozovsky said...

In any case, the movie is now on my mental list. If it's available, and if I watch it, I'll be prepared to be surprised if it turns out to be less campy than I expect.

November 12, 2010  
Blogger John McFetridge said...

Wow, Filibus looks great. I'm surprised there's no Zeppelin on the poster.

I'm also surprised it hasn't been turned into a graphic novel or been remade.

November 12, 2010  
Blogger Peter Rozovsky said...

Angelina Jolie could play the title role.

With respect to a graphic-novel version, I wonder if that attractive color poster is faithful to the look of the black-and-white movie.

November 12, 2010  
Anonymous Elisabeth said...

John, re your comment "I'm surprised there's no Zeppelin on the poster."

At least one other poster for the film does feature a zeppelin--the Baroness/Filibus is lowered from her airship in a basket over the Italian coastline. Unfortunately, the only image I could find of this also glorious color lithograph is in b&w and may be viewed on p. 296/fig. 59 of the book linked here

These high-quality lithograph posters were generally commissioned by individual exhibitors or perhaps distributors, not turned out, as today, by a studio's marketing dept. So, many different kinds of advertising images for a single big-budget film like Filibus might wind up being printed. It's one of the things that make film poster collecting from this period more like collecting any turn-of-the-last-century graphic art.

November 12, 2010  
Anonymous Elisabeth said...

Peter, re your wondering "if that attractive color poster is faithful to the look of the black-and-white movie."

Well, it would have been evocative of the movie and a big-budget movie of this type would have had various toned and/or tinted scenes. Night scenes in blue or violet; daytime in yellows, etc. And special visual elements like a fire in a hearth might have orange/red tinting. Probably very little of the original film was strictly b&w.

Unfortunately, the color image of the poster gives only a hint of its vivid color and none of its wonderful ink spattering technique (think of Toulouse Lautrec). The hypnotic effect of the Anubis figure's bright yellow eyes is really compelling up close!

November 12, 2010  
Blogger Peter Rozovsky said...

Yep, that poster certainly does look like something from before the era of mass production.

November 12, 2010  
Blogger Peter Rozovsky said...

Elisabeth, the Fantomas movies include a number of blue-tinted night scenes -- early examples of day for night, I guess -- and they get the job done very nicely. That such a scene can enable suspension of disbelief probably says much about the psychology of perception.

I seem to recall an orange-tinted scene or two as well, possibly the torching of the house in "Juve contre Fantomas."

November 13, 2010  
Blogger Tales from the Birch Wood. said...

Thank you for the Kevin Brownlow link.

I don't know Fantomas, but it seems he is quite a monster.

Perhaps Quilp from "The Old Curiosity Shop" by Dickens had a similar effect on audiences in the past?
There were several silent movie versions of that story, it seems. Also, George Eliot's "Romola" was very popular.

I find your question difficult to answer, which makes it interesting to think about.

November 13, 2010  
Blogger Peter Rozovsky said...

He's a monster but thoroughly human, as far as I know. The films and the first novel have revealed no element of the supernatural.

I don't know "The Old Curiosity Shop," but I see that a musical version of it was called "Quilp." I fear that this may indicate an effort to "humanize" the villain.

November 13, 2010  
Blogger Tales from the Birch Wood. said...

Yes, I meant a psychological monster.

This links Dickens and Wilkie Collins, with some details about the way Little Nell caught the imagination of so many readers:

"http://www2.le.ac.uk/news/blog/2010-archive/september-2010/dickens-as-soap-opera-is-little-nell-dead"

Oscar Wilde has a famous remark ...
"One must have a heart of stone to read the death of Little Nell without laughing".
Quilp in full voice sound scary...

(Also, to explain the quotation marks around the links recently... it cuts down on bandwidth usage and stops sites getting snarled up together.
Or at least that is my understanding of live linking.)

November 13, 2010  
Blogger Peter Rozovsky said...

I may have mentioned elsewhere that I have started reading Wilkie Collins' "The Woman in White," which appeared originally as a serial in Dickens' "All the Year Round" magazine.

I knew the remark you cited, though I'm not sure I knew Wilde was the source. (On recent trips, by the way, I've seen the houses where Wilde was born in Dublin and died in Paris.)

I'll keep the pointer about quotation marks and linking in mind, though I generally create a link directly rather than just typing the URL. That eats up even more bandwidth, I suppose, though blog hosts other than Wordpress don't seem to mind.)

November 13, 2010  
Blogger Tales from the Birch Wood. said...

I've left a link to a Topsy search for Fantomas on Twitter.

Slant Magazine also has a good page and that site is excellent for movie information.

I find it's easier to trace live links that way.

Everybody has their own system.

November 16, 2010  
Blogger Peter Rozovsky said...

Thanks. I saw that the link pertained to Fantomas, but I didn't realize it was search results.

November 16, 2010  
Blogger Photographe à Dublin said...

Topsy is the search engine for
Twitter.

It is very useful for keeping track of posts on any subject and for finding like-minded posters.

November 16, 2010  
Blogger Peter Rozovsky said...

Thanks. A Twitter search engine could be useful.

November 16, 2010  

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