Miss Harry performs a mesmerizing contortionist act, her body bending and twisting with unnatural grace, wearing only a dazzling, spangly suit that shimmers under the stage lights, designed to mimic the sleek, sinuous texture of snakeskin. The costume carries symbolic weight, evoking the biblical serpent that tempted Eve with the forbidden fruit, setting in motion humanity’s fall from grace. This allusion infuses Miss Harry’s performance with an undercurrent of seduction and danger, as if she herself is the serpent offering forbidden knowledge – or pleasure – to her audience. The narrow platform elevated several feet above the ground amplifies the sense of peril; one wrong move, and the illusion of effortless control could shatter. The combination of her precarious position, the undulating movements of her body, and the provocative symbolism of the snakesuit creates a spectacle that is as much about erotic tension as it is about physical skill. The audience is left both awestruck and unsettled, caught between admiration for her artistry and the primal unease stirred by the serpentine imagery.
More than 30 years after an earlier analogue restoration, which dulled the colour spectrum into muted tones and diminished its intensity, the film’s vibrant Pathécolor palette is revived through digital restoration, obtaining the same rich, saturated hues as the original nitrate print that once mesmerized audiences.

Bruno Mestdagh