Herr Julien Boissel ( George Vaultier ) is a wealthy French businessman who is in love with a rich and French heiress, Dame Yvonne ( Sandra Milovanoff ). Both love each one secretly but pretty soon disgrace will interrupt such passionate love because the president of a yellow newspaper is blackmailing Yvonne’s father, a retired Minister of State. Publication of some delicate, incriminating documents would cause such a big scandal and the newspaper editor wants to marry Yvonne, you see.
Herr Julien, now abandoned by his lover, depressed and grieved, decides to spend a night at the joyful “Moulin Rouge” ( a place in where broad-minded girls dances all night long ) trying to forget his pain. There he will meet a doctor who will experiment with him using his new techniques that separate his spirit from his body.
“Le Fantôme Du Moulin Rouge” was the third film directed by Herr René Clair and the first full-length film of his filmography. The early and silent films of this important French director were characterized by their experimentation and avant-garde boldness, not to mention that he was very fond of fantasy films, a film genre in which includes “Le Fantôme…”.
The storytelling of the film is perfect and much elaborated. It depicts a story around what could it be, at first, a simple film anecdote of those classic matters of unrequited love that affects even to the high classes; but it is more thanks to the inclusion in the plot of imaginative and fantastic elements.
Herr Clair uses tricks, visual and special effects with an oneiric depth in order to illustrate the wild doings of the Herr Julien’s freed spirit (and that’s another surprisingly element of this film ). It’s a spirit that doesn’t torture his former earthly body as do the classic spirits that we already know ( don’t tell this aristocrat that you don’t know a spirit in your neighbourhood?!… ). This ethereal spirit prefers to have a carefree and good time around Paris, doing pranks around the city or in the cabarets, leaving those earthly love problems and sorrows for his former body. So this German aristocrat can say that it is a ludic Mr. Hyde, certainly.
Due to these original elements, the film, at first, a kind of “phantasmagorie”, now turns to a delicious “comédie fantastique”, both film genres that Herr René knew by that time very well, including a frantic and soft metaphysical ending that is absolutely remarkable.
Herr Julien, now abandoned by his lover, depressed and grieved, decides to spend a night at the joyful “Moulin Rouge” ( a place in where broad-minded girls dances all night long ) trying to forget his pain. There he will meet a doctor who will experiment with him using his new techniques that separate his spirit from his body.
“Le Fantôme Du Moulin Rouge” was the third film directed by Herr René Clair and the first full-length film of his filmography. The early and silent films of this important French director were characterized by their experimentation and avant-garde boldness, not to mention that he was very fond of fantasy films, a film genre in which includes “Le Fantôme…”.
The storytelling of the film is perfect and much elaborated. It depicts a story around what could it be, at first, a simple film anecdote of those classic matters of unrequited love that affects even to the high classes; but it is more thanks to the inclusion in the plot of imaginative and fantastic elements.
Herr Clair uses tricks, visual and special effects with an oneiric depth in order to illustrate the wild doings of the Herr Julien’s freed spirit (and that’s another surprisingly element of this film ). It’s a spirit that doesn’t torture his former earthly body as do the classic spirits that we already know ( don’t tell this aristocrat that you don’t know a spirit in your neighbourhood?!… ). This ethereal spirit prefers to have a carefree and good time around Paris, doing pranks around the city or in the cabarets, leaving those earthly love problems and sorrows for his former body. So this German aristocrat can say that it is a ludic Mr. Hyde, certainly.
Due to these original elements, the film, at first, a kind of “phantasmagorie”, now turns to a delicious “comédie fantastique”, both film genres that Herr René knew by that time very well, including a frantic and soft metaphysical ending that is absolutely remarkable.
And now, if you'll allow me, I must temporarily take my leave because this German Count must toast to his spirit with some spirits.
Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien
-/-
Herr Julien Boissel ( George Vaultier ) es un joven y adinerado empresario afrancesado, enamorado en secreto de Yvonne ( Sandra Milovanoff ) también afrancesada ella; ambos se aman en secreto pero muy pronto el infortunio interrumpirá tan apasionado amor por culpa del presidente de un periódico sensacionalista, el cual está chantajeando al padre de Yvonne, otrora un importante ministro de Estado, con la publicación de unos delicados documentos que los incriminan, teniendo que conceder la mano de su hija a tan sensacionalista editor si quiere evitar un gran escándalo.
Herr Julien, ahora abandonado por su amante, deprimido y apenado, decide pasar la noche en el alegre “Moulin Rouge” ( un lugar en donde descaradas jóvenes bailan durante toda la noche ) intentado de esa forma olvidar sus penas; será allí en donde se encontrará con un doctor que posteriormente experimentará con él sus nuevas técnicas médicas y que consisten en separar el espíritu de su cuerpo mortal.
“Le Fantôme du Moulin Rouge” fue el tercer filme dirigido por Herr René Clair y el primer largometraje de su filmografía; la primera y silente etapa del realizador galo se caracteriza por su atrevimiento vanguardista y experimentación, sin olvidarse tampoco de su querencia por el cine fantástico, género al cual pertenece esta obra.
La narración del filme está muy elaborada, para una historia que en principio podría parecer una simple anécdota, esto es, esas cuestiones amorosas y amores no correspondidos que incluso afectan a las clases elevadas, pero gracias a la maestría de Herr Clair al incluir en la narración un elemento fantástico, el filme es realmente sorprendente por su originalidad.
Clair emplea trucos de cámara, además de efectos visuales y especiales con un carga onírica ciertamente importante, todo ello para ilustrar las andanzas del espíritu burlón de Julien, un espíritu ( y este es otro aspecto original del filme ) que poco tiene que ver con que habitualmente les son conocidos ( ¡¿no digan a éste aristócrata que ustedes no conocen a un espíritu en su vecindario?! ), pues estamos ante un espíritu etéreo y despreocupado, una especie de lúdico Mr. Hyde, ciertamente, con muchas ganas de divertirse a lo largo y ancho de la ciudad de París, haciendo travesuras en los lugares más diversos incluyendo un peculiar cabaret, dejando de esa forma los problemas, penas y atormentados asuntos para su terrenal cuerpo.
Debido a esos aspectos tan originales mostrados en el filme, la obra en su primera parte es una especie de “phantasmagorie”, tornándose posteriormente en una “comédie fantastique”, géneros estos que ya por entonces dominaba el director francés, además de incluir en su parte final un frenético y pseudo-metafísico final más que destacable.
Y ahora si me lo permiten les tengo que dejar momentáneamente, pues este Conde germánico tiene que brindar con su espíritu del vino.
Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien
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