The Vampires

Les Vampires (1915-1916)

Dir. Louis Feuillade; script Louis Feuillade; cinemat. Manichoux

Gaumont, France, 1915-1916

Cast: Musidora (Irma Vep), Édouard Mathé (Philippe Guérande), Marcel Lévesque  (Oscar Mazamette), Jean Aymé (Le Grand Vampire).

  DCP, 508’, tinted, intertitles/subtitles: FR/PL, EN, source: Gaumont

The Severed Head (La Tête coupée, 39’)

The Ring that Kills (La Bague qui tue, 17’)

The Red Codebook (Le Cryptogramme rouge, 49’)

The Spectre (Le Spectre, 38’)

Dead’s Man’s Escape (L'Évasion du mort, 46’)

Hypnotic Eyes (Les Yeux qui fascinent, 72’)

Satanas/ Satanas (55’)

The Thunder Master (Le Maître de la foudre, 65’)

The Poisoner (L'Homme des poisons, 60’)

The Terrible Wedding (Les Noces sanglantes, 68’)

Paris is shaken by a wave of murders, kidnappings and thefts, behind which is an elusive gang of criminals calling themselves the Vampires. Following the murder of a government official, journalist Phillippe Guérande finds himself on the trail of the criminal group and, undeterred by threats on his life, tracks down the ringleader – the Grand Vampire. Just as dangerous as the group's leader, however, is his mistress, cabaret singer Irma Vep.

This second famous film serial by Louis Feuillade, a pioneer in the genre, forms something of an informal trilogy – along with the earlier blockbuster Fantomas (1913) and the later Judex (1916). A dark crime story consisting of ten episodes, inspired by the exploits of real-life anarchist group the Bonnot Gang (1911-1912), it is considered the best part of the triptych and the magnum opus of a director with over 600 titles to his name. Central to the success of the serial was Feuillade's acting discovery in the shape of stage performer Musidora (real name Jeanne Roques), who, as Irma Vep, a charismatic femme fatale with a gift for disguise (and an iconic black bodysuit), won the hearts of audiences and achieved star status. The French surrealists, who valued the series for its dreamlike atmosphere, hailed her as their muse. As a counterweight, a degree of comedy was brought by Mazamette, Guérande's assistant. The cast also features a Polish connection: in the second episode, the dancer Marfa Koutiloff was played by Stacia Napierkowska, a French star of Polish descent.

Les Vampires was a groundbreaking serial, with the cliffhanger endings to each episode maintaining the tension and drawing audiences back the following week – and it had a huge impact on the development of the genre. Its influence can be seen in many later productions, including contemporary films such as Irma Vep (1996) by Olivier Assayas.

Michał Pieńkowski 

  music: FOQL aka TJ Głupiec, Janusz Jurga, Jakub Lemiszewski, daisy cutter, Bartosz Kruczyński

  SATURDAY | NOVEMBER 30 | 21:00
introduction to the movie: Katarzyna Wajda