| Les Vampires | |
|---|---|
.png) French teaser campaign poster | |
| Directed by | Louis Feuillade |
| Written by | Louis Feuillade |
| Starring | Édouard Mathé Musidora Marcel Lévesque |
| Cinematography | Manichoux |
| Music by | Robert Israel (2000) Éric le Guen (2008) Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra (2012) |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Comptoir Ciné-Location[1] |
Release date | 13 November 1915 – 30 June 1916 |
Running time | 10 episodes (417 minutes) |
| Country | France |
| Language | Silent (with French intertitles) |
Les Vampires is a 1915–1916 French silent crime serial film written and directed by Louis Feuillade. Set in Paris, it stars Édouard Mathé, Musidora and Marcel Lévesque. The main characters are a journalist and his friend who become involved in trying to uncover and stop a bizarre underground Apaches criminal gang, known as the Vampires (who are not the mythical beings their name might suggest). The serial consists of ten episodes, which vary greatly in length. Being roughly 7 hours long, it is considered one of the longest films ever made.[2] It was produced and distributed by Feuillade's company Gaumont. Due to its stylistic similarities with Feuillade's other crime serials Fantômas and Judex, the three are often considered a trilogy.[3]
Fresh from the success of Feuillade's previous serial, Fantômas, and facing competition from rival company Pathé, Feuillade made the film quickly and inexpensively with very little written script. Upon its initial release Les Vampires was given negative reviews by critics for its dubious morality and its lack of cinematic techniques compared to other films.[4] However, it was a massive success with its wartime audience, making Musidora a star of French cinema.[5] The film has since come under re-evaluation and is considered by many to be Feuillade's magnum opus and a cinematic masterpiece. It is recognised for developing thriller techniques, adopted by Alfred Hitchcock and Fritz Lang,[6] and avant-garde cinema, inspiring Luis Buñuel,[7] Henri Langlois, Alain Resnais, and André Breton.[8] It is included in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.[9]
- ^ "Les Vampires : Satanas". Fiche Film. Cinémathèque française. Archived from the original on 28 May 2022. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ^ Les Vampires at IMDb
- ^ "Les Vampires 9: The Poisoner 1916". The Devil's Manor. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
- ^ "The Innovators 1910–1920: Detailing The Impossible". Sight and Sound. April 1999. Archived from the original on 17 April 2015. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
- ^ "Les Vampires, Musidora and the Vamp World of the Forgotten Original Goths". 2007. Archived from the original on 20 February 2012. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
- ^ "Les Vampires (Serial)". MTV. Archived from the original on 22 May 2013. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
- ^ "Vintage Powder Room – "Fair Sex"". 20 March 2011. Archived from the original on 15 May 2013. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
- ^ "Les Vampires (1915)". Review. AllMovie. Archived from the original on 29 June 2022. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ^ Schneider, Stephen Jay (10 April 2010). 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die. Octopus Publishing Group, London. pp. 26–27. ISBN 9781844036905. Retrieved 23 September 2012.[permanent dead link]