Cinema
Les Vampires
Louis Feuillade · 1915
Synopsis
Philippe Guérande, a journalist, investigates a band of criminals operating in Paris who call themselves the Vampires. Aided by his companion Mazamette, he faces, episode after episode, their thefts, disguises and betrayals, from a severed head to a ring that kills, from a coded notebook to eyes that hypnotise. At the heart of the band acts Irma Vep, whose name is an anagram of “vampire”, in the service of the Grand Vampire and the leaders who succeed him.
Context
The ten episodes were released from 13 November 1915 to 30 June 1916. Feuillade shot them mostly in the streets of Paris, from a rough scenario, each episode being partly improvised. The Paris police prefecture, which accused him of glorifying crime, was hostile to it, but the public made it a great success. Musidora, who played Irma Vep, gained lasting fame from it. The Cinémathèque française restored it in 1996, under the supervision of the director's grandson.
Who it is for
A silent film in ten episodes of fifteen to sixty minutes, nearly seven hours in all; the order of the episodes matters.
Prizes and reception
Since hailed as one of the great serials of cinema, it is released in high definition by Kino, then in 4K by Eureka.
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