Mon

24/08

BarcArena > 21:15

LA TRAVERSÉE DE PARIS / CHRONOCHROME GAUMONT

Introduced by

Nicolas Seydoux (Gaumont)

Preceding: a selection of film realized with the Chronochrome Gaumont system. Piano accompaniment by Dimitri Sillato

GAUMONT CHRONOCHROME
Perhaps the most beautiful of all the early colour film systems, whether ‘natural’ or ‘artificial’, was Chronochrome. Though its commercial life was not long, and though it was apparently not seen widely, recent restorations have unveiled a precious colour record of belle époque France. They have a magical reality about them, capturing an ineffable something of those Proustian times. Chronochrome was patented by Léon Gaumont in 1911. It was the first working example of a three-colour additive system in natural colours. Gaumont’s system employed a three-lens camera with red, green and blue filters, through which three images were exposed simultaneously. To get around problems experienced by previous inventors trying to move three frames at high speed (48 frames per second), Gaumont came up with a narrower frame height (14mm). The projector was likewise equipped with three lenses, similarly reduced in height to reduce fringing.

Luke McKernan

(In case of rain, the screening will take place at Cinema Jolly)

Projection
Info

Monday 24/08/2020
21:15

Subtitle

Original version with subtitles

LA TRAVERSÉE DE PARIS

Film Notes

Along with his sequence of ‘period’ films (Le Mariage de Chiffon, Lettres d’amour, Douce), this is Autant-Lara’s masterpiece. It seems that Autant-Lara needs some distance in time from his subject in order to express the best of his acerbic, caustic verve. This is because his art is above all an art of preparation, composition, reconstruction, painting and decorating, where the effect produced is most effective when it is the result of a meditated set of carefully fulfilled conditions and balanced talents. Here everything was in place for a great success: the admirable material of Marcel Aymé’s short story (taken from the collection Le Vin de Paris, 1947); a dense and new adaptation by Aurenche and Bost substituting the tragic ending (Martin killing Grandgil) with a disillusioned epilogue; a period atmosphere reconstituted with accuracy and served by an internal dynamism that gives the action genuine respect for the unity of action and time; original characters; perfect actors, whose audacious choices highlight the singularity and the truth of their characters. Bourvil, chosen with astonishing perspicacity on the part of Autant-Lara, finds here (after an interesting first experience in Alone in Paris, Bromberger, 1951, at the instigation of Pagnol, the producer) his first serious big role with this character of a cowardly smuggler, more pitiful than likeable. In the same way Gabin, in an ambiguous role, unexpected and full of depth, surprises his public once again, delighting them with his metamorphosis.

Jacques Lourcelles, Dictionnaire du cinema: les films, Laffont, Paris 1992

One of my best known films, because there’s an unbeatable trio: Bourvil, Gabin, De Funès, obviously that will win out! And the film was good. Except for the ending, which Deutschmeister, the producer, never wanted me to shoot. The real ending is that the poor devil is shot, while the rich, the famous painter, gets away with it. I even shot a few scenes of my own to show him… but he wouldn’t listen. In the end, we make the films we can, given the producers – I’m not saying they’re stupid, but there’s something that dulls their intellect, it’s the money: even intelligent producers, when they’re afraid that they won’t make returns, they become stupid.

Claude Autant-Lara in Claude Autant- Lara en 33 films: une exposition, Institut Lumière, Lyon 1983

Cast and Credits

Sog.: dal racconto omonimo (1947) di Marcel Aymé. Scen.: Jean Aurenche, Pierre Bost. F.: Jacque Natteau. M.: Madeleine Gug. Scgf.: Max Douy. Mus: René Cloërec. Int.: Jean Gabin (Grandgil), Bourvil (Marcel Martin), Louis de Funès (Jambier), Jeannette Batti (Mariette Martin), Georgette Anys (Lucienne Couronne), Robert Arnoux (Marchandot), Laurence Badie (la cameriera), Myno Burney (Angèle Marchandot). Prod.: Henry Deutschmeister per Franco London Film e Continental Produzione. DCP. Bn.

VENISE, REINE DE L’ADRIATIQUE

Year: 1912
Country: Francia
Sound
Mute
Edition
2020

LE DERNIER ROI DE GRÈCE. L’ARRIVÉE À ATHÈNES DE LA DÉPOUILLE ROYALE

Year: 1912
Country: Francia
Sound
Mute
Edition
2020

LA FÊTE DES FLEURS À NICE. DIMANCHE 2 FÉVRIER 1913

Year: 1913
Country: Francia
Sound
Mute
Edition
2020

REPRODUCTION D’UN BOUQUET PAR CINÉMATOGRAPHIE ORDINAIRE. LE MÊME BOUQUET FILMÉ PAR LE CHRONOCHROME GAUMONT

Year: 1912
Country: Francia
Sound
Mute
Edition
2020

LA GRÈCE PITTORESQUE. ENVIRONS DE MEGARE ET CORINTHE

Year: 1912
Country: Francia
Sound
Mute
Edition
2020

LA MODE DE PARIS. CHAPEAUX DE LA DERNIÈRE COLLECTION PRINTEMPS

Year: 1912
Country: Francia
Sound
Mute
Edition
2020

FÉVRIER EN PROVENCE. SCÈNES RUSTIQUES

Year: 1912
Country: Francia
Sound
Mute
Edition
2020