Fièvre

Plot

Militis, a sailor, returns to his hometown and visits a familiar bar where he encounters Sarah, a woman from his past with whom he shared a passionate romance. Despite being married to an exotic woman who nursed him back to health during a serious illness, Militis finds himself irresistibly drawn to Sarah, awakening memories of their intense relationship. As the two reconnect, the film explores the complex emotions of love, desire, and regret through a series of flashbacks and dream sequences that blur the line between past and present. The narrative unfolds with increasing psychological tension as Militis struggles between his marital obligations and his lingering feelings for Sarah. The film culminates in a poignant exploration of memory's power to haunt the present and the impossibility of recapturing lost moments.

Historical Background

Fièvre was produced during the French Impressionist cinema movement (1918-1929), a period when French filmmakers were exploring the artistic possibilities of cinema as a medium for subjective expression and psychological depth. The film emerged in the aftermath of World War I, when French society was grappling with trauma, loss, and rapid social change. The 1920s in France saw a flourishing of artistic innovation across all media, with cinema joining literature, painting, and music in the modernist movement. The film industry was also undergoing significant changes, with smaller independent producers challenging the dominance of larger studios. Delluc, as both filmmaker and critic, was at the forefront of establishing cinema as a legitimate art form in France, arguing for its unique capabilities beyond mere entertainment. The film's exploration of memory and psychological states reflected contemporary interest in Freudian psychology and the inner workings of the human mind.

Making Of

Louis Delluc approached 'Fièvre' as a cinematic poem, emphasizing visual emotion over narrative clarity. He worked closely with cinematographer Georges Lucas to develop innovative lighting techniques that would express the characters' inner states. The film's famous flashback sequences were achieved through in-camera effects and multiple exposures, requiring precise timing and coordination. Delluc encouraged his actors to express emotions through subtle gestures and facial expressions rather than the exaggerated acting common in silent cinema. The production took place during a difficult period for the French film industry, which was struggling to compete with American imports. Despite these challenges, Delluc maintained complete artistic control, refusing to compromise his vision. The film's editing style, with its rapid cuts and rhythmic pacing, was influenced by Delluc's background as a music critic and his understanding of musical composition.

Visual Style

The cinematography of Fièvre, executed by Georges Lucas, is revolutionary for its time and represents some of the most innovative visual work of the silent era. Lucas employed numerous techniques that were groundbreaking in 1921, including extensive use of soft focus to indicate memory and dream states, superimposition to show the overlapping of past and present, and creative lighting to express emotional states. The film's visual style is characterized by its painterly compositions, with careful attention to light and shadow that creates a moody, atmospheric quality. The bar scenes are particularly notable for their use of naturalistic lighting and deep focus, creating a sense of realism within the film's expressionistic framework. The camera movement in Fièvre was unusually fluid for the period, with tracking shots and pans that follow characters' movements and thoughts. The cinematography emphasizes subjective experience, often showing scenes from characters' points of view or using visual distortions to indicate psychological states.

Innovations

Fièvre was technically innovative in numerous ways that were ahead of their time. The film's extensive use of superimposition and multiple exposure to show memory and dream sequences was particularly advanced for 1921. Delluc and his cinematographer developed new techniques for achieving soft focus effects that could be controlled precisely to indicate different psychological states. The film's editing style, with its rapid cuts and rhythmic pacing, was influenced by contemporary musical forms and represented a sophisticated understanding of cinematic time. The production also experimented with location shooting in actual Parisian bars, which added authenticity to the film's urban setting. The film's lighting design was particularly innovative, using chiaroscuro effects and creative use of shadows to enhance the emotional atmosphere. These technical innovations were not merely decorative but served the film's exploration of psychological states and subjective experience.

Music

As a silent film, Fièvre was originally accompanied by live musical performance, typically a piano or small orchestra in theaters. The original musical score has not survived, as was common for silent films where musicians often improvised or used compiled scores. Modern screenings of the restored film typically feature newly composed scores or carefully selected classical music that complements the film's mood and visual style. The rhythmic editing and visual poetry of the film suggest that Delluc conceived it with musical qualities in mind, and contemporary accounts indicate that he worked closely with musicians to ensure the accompanying music enhanced the film's emotional impact. The film's title, 'Fever,' suggests that the original musical accompaniment likely emphasized rhythmic intensity and emotional passion to match the visual and narrative themes.

Memorable Scenes

• The opening sequence where Militis first enters the bar, with its atmospheric lighting and sense of foreboding
• The flashback sequences showing Militis and Sarah's past romance, achieved through innovative superimposition techniques
• The climactic confrontation scene between Militis, Sarah, and his wife, with its complex emotional dynamics
• The dream sequence where past and present merge into a surreal visual poem
• The final scene where Militis must choose between his past and present, conveyed through subtle gestures and expressions

What Critics Said

Contemporary critics recognized Fièvre as a significant artistic achievement, with Delluc's fellow critics praising its visual innovation and emotional depth. The film was particularly admired for its sophisticated use of cinematic techniques to convey psychological states, something that was relatively new in 1921. Critics noted the film's poetic quality and its departure from conventional narrative filmmaking. In the decades following its release, the film was largely forgotten as French Impressionist cinema fell out of favor, but it was rediscovered by film historians and critics in the 1950s and 1960s during the revival of interest in early avant-garde cinema. Modern critics now consider Fièvre one of the masterpieces of silent cinema, praising its visual beauty, emotional complexity, and innovative techniques. The film is frequently cited in scholarly works on early cinema and is regarded as one of Delluc's most important contributions to the art of film.

What Audiences Thought

Initial audience reception to Fièvre was mixed, as its unconventional narrative structure and artistic ambitions were challenging for general audiences accustomed to more straightforward storytelling. However, among cinephiles and artistic circles in Paris, the film found an appreciative audience that recognized its innovative qualities. The film's limited release and lack of commercial promotion meant it reached relatively few viewers compared to mainstream productions. In the years following its release, as tastes in cinema evolved, the film developed a cult following among film enthusiasts and scholars. Modern audiences who have had the opportunity to see restored versions of the film generally respond positively to its visual beauty and emotional power, though its pacing and narrative style can be challenging for viewers accustomed to contemporary cinema. The film's reputation has grown over time, and it is now considered an essential work for anyone interested in the history of cinematic art.

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