Pordenone Silent Film Festival 2009

[Ann Harding]

Hello Everybody! I guess I haven't been much around during these past few months. I hope you will forgive me for that. I have been absolutely submerged with work on my computer leaving me with very little time for SSO. I am translating in French The Parade's gone by... . Yes 41 years after its first publication, it's going to be available to the French public in a new revised version! I still have quite a few chapters to do, but I am starting to see the end.
I took a break last week and went to the Pordenone silent film festival in Italy. It was a fantastic week with many discoveries. I'll try to cover some of the most impressive films I saw there.

J'Accuse (1919, A. Gance) with Romuald Joubé, Marise Dauvray and Séverin-Mars
(restored by Lobster Films Paris and the Nederlands Filmmuseum, Amsterdam)

This screening of the newly restored 35 mm print of Gance's film was a the high point of the festival in many ways. The film was accompanied by the excellent pianist and composer Stephen Horne. I had watched the film several times on DVD and had been a bit annoyed by the melodramatic aspect of the film as well as the overstated performances of the actors.
What a difference it makes to see it on a big screen! It was an unbelievably moving experience. I never thought it would become such an emotional experience, for me and the rest of the public. I was able to chat with some of the people involved in the restoration. They all felt that it was overly melodramatic. But, there on the big screen, it suddenly took a new life. Stephen Horne's masterly score helped immeasurably. He underlined the inner emotions of the caracters in such a way that even the brute played by Séverin-Mars became a human being. The character of Maria Lazare, the veteran from the Franco-Prussian War received a slightly ironic treatment giving it depth. The print is unbelievably good. If you have seen the DVD, you probably have noticed the quality, but that 35 mm print is so great you can nearly feel the wind ruffling through the trees, or hear the water in the brooks. The tinting is gorgeous, not overstated.
Everybody I talk to after the film felt that this screening had changed their perception of the film, including one of the hands-on restorer who spent months on it. I have been wondering what made it so different from the DVD experience. There are several factors I can think of. First, the speed. On the DVD, it's at 19 fps. They screened it slower at 17 fps which managed to give the performances more humanity. Second, the fact that you watch a big screen where sometimes an overstated performance can look realistic once blown-up. And last, no matter how great Robert Israel's score was, Stephen Horne managed something amazing by giving real poetry and subtlety to the whole film. It's as if all the elements came together to provide 'The Performance' that can transcend a film. It was certainly one of the most fascinating and moving experience in my life of concert and film spectator.

[knitwit45]

Hello, Ann, and welcome back. You have been SORELY missed around here. Thanks so much for sharing your experience with J'Accuse. It makes me want to see the film even more than before! Of course, seeing it on a big screen in Italy wouldn't hurt, either...

When you need a break from your huge task, drop in for a few minutes!

Nancy

[moira finnie]

It's good to see you posting, Ann, but what a daunting task you've set for yourself with The Parade's Gone By...! I am interested in hearing more about the Pordenone Silent Film Festival if you have time to share your thoughts about other movies you saw there.

I am interested in your comments on J'Accuse, and wonder if you think that silent movies--even more than sound films, benefit from being seen on the large screen? Was there a long break during this movie or was it shown in one block?

Having seen J'Accuse when it was broadcast on TCM about a year and a half ago, I was impressed with the effort to capture every aspect of the war experience, but was most moved by the sequence featuring the return of the dead more than any other. Perhaps seeing it with a different score in a real theater might have helped some of the more arid patches, but I did find the emotional clumsiness of Séverin-Mars' character rather touching.

Thanks for dropping by!


One other silent I would recommend seeing on the large screen would be Diary of a Lost Girl (G. W. Pabst) with Louise Brooks, which I caught at the Eastman House last year.

[feaito]

Welcome back Christine!

The screening of "J'Accuse" (1919) sounds like a truly awesome and riveting experience.

Watching a film on the big screen, with the right audience by your side I must say, makes it a totally different experience. Even when there's no audience.....When I watched "Sunset Bvd. " (1950) in the projection room of my building, it was like watching a new movie. You get immersed in the plot in a different way; you notice details and other aspects which are lost when you watch them on TV. The movie affects you overall in completely distinct way. A similar thing happened to me when I saw on the big screen "Love Me Tonight" (1932) and "The Godless Girl" (1928) among other fascinating movies.

As for "J'Accuse" (1919), it is a film that I would like to see. It would have been fantastic to have had the chance of being at Pordenone to witness that screening alone.

I just finished last night Kevin Brownlow's "The Parade's Gone By" and I have to say that it is one of the best, better written, more lovingly and sensitively made books I have read in my life. A true masterpiece.

I also want to add the chapter devoted to Abel Gance is a piece of love and art in itself. While reading about the life, career and making of Gance's films I felt the irrepressible need of watching all of his films, most notably "La Roue", "J'Accuse" and "Napoleon" in its integral form, with the polyvision triptychs, color and 3D sequences! I can only imagine the premiere of the film at the French Opera back in the 1926 or 1927.

[Ann Harding]

I'll try to write more about the films I saw. Overall, my impression is that the prints presented where among the best I have ever seen. The Cinémathèque Française shows, alas, many silents in terrible dupy, soupy prints. And, the pianists who worked at Pordenone were absolutely first class: Philip Carli, Donald Sosin, Stephen Horne, Antonio Coppola, Gabriel Thibaudeau, and a few others are great professionals, obviously in love with their work.

The Eagle (1925, C. Brown) with R. Valentino & V. Banky

The print we saw came from Photoplay Prod. and had been struck directly from the original camera negative. Its sharpness and contrast were unbelievable. I just couldn't believe my eyes! The shades of grey were incredible. I cannot forget that travelling shot towards the window as Valentino's father is dying. The sun is setting behind the window with the most incredibly gorgeous contrast. It felt like one the best Von Sternberg picture. I am not a great Valentino fan but to be able to see such a gorgeous print was a real treat. It was accompanied by a synchronised recording of the Carl Davis score which made it all the more exciting. If you have never seen a print like that, just try to imagine a silent looking like the best Warner restorations on DVD. It is that good, well even better.

The Merry Widow (1925, E. von Stroheim) with M. Murray & J. Gilbert

The print came from the Austrian Film Museum and looked a lot better than the one shown on TCM. It offered some really good contrast. Its sharpness wasn't as great as The Eagle but it was still pretty good. The film was screened with a new orchestral score by Maud Nelissen, a Dutch composer. It was overall a very nice score using some of Lehar themes. I felt it gave the film a slight melancholic tinge which I had not noticed on my own VHS of the film. The film, as an added bonus, was introduced by Leatrice Gilbert, the daughter of J. Gilbert and Leatrice Joy. I was extremely tired on the first day after getting up at 3.30 am to catch my plane. But I didn't fall asleep during the screening!

[Ann Harding]

I am interested in your comments on J'Accuse, and wonder if you think that silent movies--even more than sound films, benefit from being seen on the large screen? Was there a long break during this movie or was it shown in one block?

I just noticed your question...I am still not quite awake!!!
Well, I think silents and sound films are always different on a big screen. But for silents, there are many factors affecting your perception: the music that accompanies it (which can kill a film!), the print quality and also the speed at which it's shown. When I talked to some people who saw J'Accuse in Amsterdam where the music was apparently terrible (electric guitar??!!), they said that the film was transformed by Stephen Horne's playing. His playing was just superlative. I don't think the film would have worked as well without him. There was only a very short break (10-15 min) between part 2 and part 3. So the pianist played for 3h15min altogether that evening. Quite a feat!
He is going to play again for the same film in Britain in early November in London and Bristol. If you are around, run to see it!

[MichiganJ]

Hi Ann, very happy you had a few moment to post with us again!

It's hard to believe The Parade's Gone By has never been translated into French before but great news to read that you are doing the translation. The French public are sure in for a treat! What do you mean by "revised version"? Will there be more than in the original English edition?

I've been delving into some of the French silents lately (Feyder/Antoine/Bernard and especially Duvivier) and I think your assessment of J'Accuse on home video is right on. While I really admired the film, it does feel quite overly melodramatic and many of the performances are overstated. Knowing how much Kevin Brownlow admires Gance, I thought I was missing something, and clearly I am--the big screen! Interesting that the projection speed was slowed down for the live screening as the DVD edition doesn't seem fast. I do like Robert Israel's score quite a bit (I find much of it quite subtle, which helps to negate some of the melodrama) but now really want to hear Stephen Horne's, too!

Out of curiosity, what language were the titles in?

[Ann Harding]

It's hard to believe The Parade's Gone By has never been translated into French before but great news to read that you are doing the translation. The French public are sure in for a treat! What do you mean by "revised version"? Will there be more than in the original English edition?

The French edition is being completely corrected for mistakes, new discoveries, etc. It will have a new introduction by the author.

Out of curiosity, what language were the titles in?

The film was shown with its original French titles. And, as for all the films shown at the festival, it had Italian & English subs.

[charliechaplinfan]

Christine, I am enjoying your thread immensley, I'm also very envious . I should imagine seeing J'Accuse in that way would bring it to life in a way that DVDs simply can't achieve.

[Ann Harding]

Gunnar Hedes Saga (1923, M. Stiller) with Einar Hanson et Mary Johnson

Gunnar Hedes dreams to become a musician like his grandfather. After a row with his mother, he leaves for the North, hoping to make a fortune by gathering a herd of wild reindeers. His dreamis hattered and he comes back home, having lost his mind...

This Mauritz Stiller picture is alas incomplete: only 1300 m out of 2000 have survived. It's again an adaptation of Selma Lagerlöf. Unfortunately the print is bit dark and lacking in contrast, drowning in heavy tints (Desmet color process is probably to blame). It's a shame because the outdoor scene are outstanding. The herd of reindeers crossing the river are incredible, similar in scale to Grass (1927, Cooper & Schoedsack). Mary Johnson, the heroine of Sir Arne's Treasure (1924) is again superb as the young travelling musician who will manage to help Gunnar recover his mind. Some scenes by the lake have the entrancing beauty of the Swedish cinema of the time. A truncated jewel, but a jewel nevertheless.

Du Skal Aere Din Ustru (The Master of the House, 1925) by Carl T. Dreyer with Johannes Meyer et Astrid Holm

Viktor Frandsen is a domestic tyrant. His old nurse is going to teach him a lesson. She sends his wife away and makes him realise all the hard work she was doing...

This Dreyer picture was presented in a British print that gave the Danes a certain British flavour with porridge and other English specialties! The film is absolutely undated and drew gales of laughter from the public (especially women!). the old nurse is having a ball making his life a misery, hanging washing in the living-room and other things. All the small details of family life are shown with great accuracy. The husband ends up like a repentant little boy in the corner. The pianist Donald Sosin gave a very fine accompaniment after showing his range with a great performance in the totally different Ten Commandments. A very fine picture.

[Gagman 66]

Christine,

12 days ago, I obtained a mysterious recording of a complete Full Orchestral score to THE MERRY WIDOW from this guy Kevin, who I had just met from GAOH. I am at a loss as to where the score originated from? It seems to be a fairly recent performance/recording of the original 1925 score. I am going to try to match it up with the TCM print of the film, replacing the Theater Organ. Audio clarity is excellent to the Orchestral recording. Could be Robert Israel and His European Orchestra I am not sure. I know it is not the new Maud Nelissen one.

Interesting to learn that there is another print source of the film that is superior to the TCM edition, that probably first appeared in the Mid-90's. It is somewhat disappointing that Warner Archive has not released the movie yet. If you still had Pando installed on your system, I could send you the score in an MP-3 file?

It is also very nice to hear that the screened the Photoplay restoration of THE EAGLE. It would be nice if TCM could obtain the broadcast rights to this version. I have mentioned it to Chuck Tabesh a few times in the past.

[rudyfan]

The Eagle (1925, C. Brown) with R. Valentino & V. Banky

The print we saw came from Photoplay Prod. and had been struck directly from the original camera negative. Its sharpness and contrast were unbelievable. I just couldn't believe my eyes! The shades of grey were incredible. I cannot forget that travelling shot towards the window as Valentino's father is dying. The sun is setting behind the window with the most incredibly gorgeous contrast. It felt like one the best Von Sternberg picture. I am not a great Valentino fan but to be able to see such a gorgeous print was a real treat. It was accompanied by a synchronised recording of the Carl Davis score which made it all the more exciting. If you have never seen a print like that, just try to imagine a silent looking like the best Warner restorations on DVD. It is that good, well even better.

Sigh....very heavy sigh. I was unable to fly to LA for the sole US screening of the Photoplay print at a past Cinecon, much to my eternal regret. I've been nagging not so gently to the SFSFF about this and have gone nowhere.

I'm going to have to save my pennies, visit London and beg Kevin and Patrick to screen it for me.

[charliechaplinfan]

Let me know, I'll join you

[silentscreen]

So wonderful to have you back Christine! Your posts are so well written and informative. I'm glad you had a good time at the festival! And best of luck with the translation!

Brenda

[Ann Harding]

One more review as you seem to enjoy it!

The Ten Commandments (1923, C. B. De Mille) with L. Joy, R. Dix et R. LaRoque.

The mammoth De Mille epic was presented in a superb print from George Eastman House. Alas, the duotone Technicolor sequences at the beginning seems to be lost. Instead we got some colored sequence using the Handschiegl process. It didn't look very good, some kind of stenciling giving an odd orangey color to the wall of fire protecting Moses. But apart from that, the print was sharp, contrasted and showing at its best the great work of the operators. After the first Biblical hour, the film returns to contemporary America. All the actors give excellent performances, especially Leatrice Joy. But, alas, the script itself becomes increasingly silly with some title cards that made the house roared with laughter. "A Mixture of French perfume and Chinese insence is more lethal than nitroglycerine." But, here and there, De Mille seems to remember that he was a great director and give us a new perspective of his talent. I am particularly fond of the sequence where Leatrice takes an outdoor lift to join Dichard Dix at the top of a building. As the lift rises, we see the roofs of New York diminishing. The sequence is almost identical to the last scene in Vidor's The Fountainhead (1949). The film was brillantly accompanied by the pianist Donald Sosin.

The film was presented by Leatrice Joy's daughter, Leatrice Gilbert Fountain. She was there also to present The Merry Widow as it featured her father, John Gilbert. I managed to snatch a picture of Leatrice, later on: