Living Flowers
"The finest 'Color' Film of the Twentieth Century"
Plot
In this magical fantasy short, a careless man wanders into a beautiful garden and proceeds to thoughtlessly trample and destroy the delicate flowers. The enraged flowers suddenly come to life, growing to human size and seeking revenge against their destroyer. Through clever camera tricks and visual effects, the animated flowers chase and torment the man, creating a whimsical yet cautionary tale about respecting nature. The film concludes with the man receiving his comeuppance as the flowers restore their garden to its former glory.
Director
About the Production
This film was meticulously hand-colored using the Pathécolor stencil process, which involved cutting stencils for each color and applying them frame by frame. The production required extensive planning to create the illusion of flowers growing and moving through stop-motion techniques and substitution splicing. The Corrick Family Entertainers acquired the film for their touring variety show, helping to distribute it internationally.
Historical Background
This film was produced during the golden age of French cinema, when Pathé Frères dominated the global film market. 1906 was a pivotal year for cinematic innovation, with filmmakers experimenting with color, special effects, and narrative techniques. The era saw the emergence of fantasy and trick films as a popular genre, with directors like Georges Méliès and Gaston Velle pushing the boundaries of what was possible with the medium. The hand-coloring process used in this film represented the cutting edge of color technology before the advent of true color film processes. The international distribution through traveling entertainers like the Corrick Family exemplifies how early films reached global audiences before the establishment of formal distribution networks.
Why This Film Matters
Living Flowers represents an important milestone in the development of color cinema and special effects. As one of the earliest examples of hand-colored narrative film, it demonstrates the industry's early ambitions to move beyond black and white. The film's environmental theme, though simple, was progressive for its time, reflecting growing concerns about industrialization's impact on nature. Its success with international audiences helped establish fantasy as a viable commercial genre. The film's preservation through the Corrick Family's touring activities provides valuable insight into how early films were distributed and consumed outside traditional cinema venues.
Making Of
Gaston Velle, a former magician turned filmmaker, brought his expertise in visual illusion to this production. The film was created using multiple innovative techniques including substitution splicing, where different shots were carefully joined to create the illusion of transformation, and the Pathécolor stencil coloring process. The production team had to manually apply colors to each frame, making it an extremely labor-intensive process. The Corrick Family Entertainers, who were themselves performers, recognized the film's potential for their variety shows and helped distribute it throughout the Pacific region. The film's success led to Velle creating several similar nature-themed fantasies for Pathé.
Visual Style
The cinematography employed innovative techniques for the time, including multiple exposure to create ghost-like effects and careful framing to enhance the illusion of transformation. The camera work was static, as was typical of the period, but used strategic positioning to maximize the impact of the special effects. The hand-coloring process added depth and dimension to the visuals, creating a dreamlike quality that enhanced the fantasy elements.
Innovations
The film's primary technical achievement was its extensive use of the Pathécolor stencil process, one of the most sophisticated colorization methods of the early cinema era. The substitution splicing technique used to create the growing flower effects was groundbreaking for its time. The film also demonstrated early mastery of multiple exposure and matte effects. These innovations represented significant steps forward in the development of both color cinema and special effects techniques.
Music
As a silent film, Living Flowers would have been accompanied by live music during screenings. The Corrick Family Entertainers typically provided their own musical accompaniment, using piano or small orchestral arrangements. The music would have been specially composed or selected to match the film's magical and dramatic moments, with lighter themes for the garden scenes and more dramatic music for the revenge sequences.
Famous Quotes
'The finest 'Color' Film of the Twentieth Century' - Corrick Family Entertainers advertisement
'A marvel of photographic artistry' - The Sydney Morning Herald, 1907
Memorable Scenes
- The dramatic sequence where the flowers grow to human size and begin to chase the man, created through substitution splicing and careful staging
- The final restoration of the garden, with colorful flowers dancing in triumph
Did You Know?
- The film's original French title was 'Les Fleurs Animées' (The Animated Flowers)
- It was part of Pathé's prestigious series of hand-colored fantasy films
- The Corrick Family Entertainers toured with this film across Australia and New Zealand from 1907-1914
- Gaston Velle was a magician before becoming a filmmaker, which explains his mastery of visual tricks
- The hand-coloring process required up to 6 different stencils per frame to achieve the vibrant colors
- Only one known print survives today, held in the archives of the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia
- The film was marketed as having 'over 3000 separate colors' in contemporary advertisements
- Velle created several similar nature-themed fantasy films during this period
- The growing flower effects were achieved through careful substitution splicing rather than true animation
- The film was considered so technically impressive that it was often featured as the closing act in vaudeville shows
What Critics Said
Contemporary critics praised the film's technical achievements, particularly its vibrant colors and clever visual effects. The Sydney Morning Herald in 1907 described it as 'a marvel of photographic artistry' and 'a feast for the eyes'. Modern film historians recognize it as an important example of early color cinema and Velle's contribution to the fantasy genre. The British Film Institute notes its significance in the development of special effects techniques that would influence later filmmakers.
What Audiences Thought
Audiences were reportedly mesmerized by the film's colorful visuals and magical transformations. The Corrick Family's advertisements emphasized the film's visual spectacle, promising audiences 'a fairy tale brought to life in glorious color'. Contemporary accounts suggest that audiences often gasped at the growing flower sequences and applauded the film's conclusion. The film's repeated inclusion in the Corricks' touring programs over several years indicates its enduring popularity with audiences of the era.
Film Connections
Influenced By
- Georges Méliès' trick films
- Stage magic traditions
- Fairy tale literature
- Art Nouveau aesthetic
This Film Influenced
- Segundo de Chomón's flower films
- Early Disney nature animations
- Contemporary environmental short films
You Might Also Like
Film Restoration
The film is partially preserved with one known complete print held at the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia. The print was discovered as part of the Corrick Family Collection and has been digitally restored. While the original nitrate print has deteriorated, the digital restoration allows modern audiences to experience Velle's colorful fantasy.