The Gold Obsession
Plot
In an attic studio, an artist struggles to pay his rent while painting a portrait of a young woman in country costume. When the landlord demands payment and the artist has no money, he dismisses his model who tries to comfort him. In a fantastical sequence, dancing safes magically appear, from which the artist extracts bags of gold coins. A fairy woman transports him to a palace where soldiers march and women dancers perform. Meanwhile, his model attempts to pawn her jewelry to help him. The dream-like vision culminates in a rain of fire, after which the artist awakens in his studio, contemplating suicide.
Director
About the Production
This early fantasy film showcases Segundo de Chomón's mastery of special effects techniques including multiple exposures, substitution splices, and hand-tinted color. The dancing safes sequence was achieved through stop-motion animation, a technique Chomón pioneered. The film was likely shot in Pathé's Paris studios, where Chomón worked as a director and special effects technician.
Historical Background
1906 was a pivotal year in early cinema, as filmmakers were moving beyond simple actualities and experimenting with narrative and fantasy films. The film industry was rapidly expanding in Europe, with Pathé Frères establishing itself as a dominant force. This period saw the rise of the 'cinema of attractions' where visual spectacle and magical effects were the primary draw for audiences. Segundo de Chomón was working in Paris during a golden age of French cinema, competing directly with the more famous Georges Méliès for audiences' fascination with cinematic magic. The film reflects the era's fascination with dreams, the subconscious, and the boundaries between reality and fantasy, themes that would become increasingly important in modernist art and literature of the early 20th century.
Why This Film Matters
The Gold Obsession represents an important early example of the fantasy film genre and demonstrates the rapid evolution of cinematic storytelling in the first decade of the 20th century. The film's exploration of artistic poverty and dreams of wealth reflects social concerns of the Belle Époque period. Its innovative special effects techniques, particularly the stop-motion animation of the safes, influenced subsequent filmmakers and contributed to the development of cinematic language. The film is significant for its role in establishing Segundo de Chomón as a major figure in early cinema, whose techniques would later influence major directors including Abel Gance and even early Hollywood special effects artists. It exemplifies the transition from simple trick films to more complex narrative fantasies that would characterize the evolution of cinema as an art form.
Making Of
Segundo de Chomón created this film during his early period working for Pathé Frères in Paris. The production utilized cutting-edge special effects techniques for 1906, including multiple exposure photography to create the magical appearances of safes and the fairy character. The dancing safes were animated using frame-by-frame manipulation, making this one of the earliest examples of stop-motion. The hand-coloring process involved artists carefully painting each individual frame of the film stock, a time-consuming technique that added visual spectacle to the fantasy elements. Chomón's wife Julienne Mathieu, a frequent collaborator, likely performed in the film as the fairy or model, as she was known for her expressive acting in silent fantasy pieces.
Visual Style
The cinematography in The Gold Obsession utilizes the fixed camera perspective typical of 1906 films, but incorporates innovative techniques for its special effects sequences. The film employs multiple exposure photography to create the magical appearances of safes and the fairy character. The dancing safes sequence showcases early stop-motion animation techniques, with objects appearing to move on their own. The rain of fire effect was achieved through careful manipulation of exposure and likely the use of colored filters. The film was hand-tinted to add color to key sequences, enhancing the fantasy elements. The studio lighting creates dramatic shadows in the attic scenes, contributing to the mood of artistic struggle before the magical transformation.
Innovations
The Gold Obsession features several pioneering technical achievements for 1906 cinema. The dancing safes sequence represents an early and sophisticated use of stop-motion animation, requiring careful frame-by-frame manipulation of objects. The film's use of multiple exposure photography to create magical appearances was technically advanced for its time. The hand-coloring process, though labor-intensive, created vivid visual effects that enhanced the fantasy elements. The substitution splices used for the transformations demonstrate sophisticated editing techniques for the era. The film also showcases early understanding of continuity and narrative structure in a fantasy context. These technical innovations contributed to the development of cinematic language and special effects that would become standard in later years.
Music
As a silent film from 1906, The Gold Obsession would have been accompanied by live musical performance during its original theatrical presentations. The typical accompaniment would have been a pianist or small ensemble playing popular music of the era, possibly including classical pieces or contemporary songs that matched the mood of each scene. The fantasy sequences would have been accompanied by more whimsical or magical-sounding music, while the dramatic moments would have featured more somber compositions. No original score was composed specifically for the film, as was common practice during this period. Modern screenings of the film are typically accompanied by newly composed scores or period-appropriate music performed live or recorded.
Memorable Scenes
- The magical appearance of dancing safes from which the artist extracts gold coins
- The fairy woman's entrance and magical transformation of the scene
- The palace sequence with marching soldiers and dancing women
- The dramatic rain of fire that awakens the artist from his dream
- The final scene where the artist contemplates suicide in his studio
Did You Know?
- The Gold Obsession (French: L'Or) is one of Segundo de Chomón's earliest directorial works for Pathé
- The film features hand-tinted color sequences, a laborious process where each frame was colored by hand
- Segundo de Chomón was often called 'the Spanish Méliès' due to his similar fantasy film style and effects work
- The dancing safes sequence is considered an early example of stop-motion animation in cinema
- At only 3 minutes, this was typical of the short film format of the era
- The film was part of Pathé's efforts to compete with Georges Méliès' popular fantasy films
- Chomón would later become one of the most important special effects pioneers in early European cinema
- The original French title was simply 'L'Or' (Gold)
- The fairy character was likely played by Chomón's wife, Julienne Mathieu, who appeared in many of his films
- The rain of fire effect was created using multiple exposure techniques and colored filters
What Critics Said
Contemporary critical reception for The Gold Obsession is largely undocumented due to the limited film journalism of 1906. However, Pathé's catalog descriptions and trade publications of the era praised the film's spectacular effects and imaginative sequences. Modern film historians and scholars recognize the work as an important example of early fantasy cinema and a showcase of Chomón's technical prowess. Critics today appreciate the film for its innovative use of stop-motion and its role in the development of special effects techniques. The film is often cited in studies of early Spanish and French cinema as an example of the cross-cultural exchange of cinematic techniques during the silent era.
What Audiences Thought
Audiences in 1906 would have been captivated by the film's magical effects and fantasy elements, which were still novel and spectacular to viewers of early cinema. The dancing safes and fairy character would have provided the kind of visual wonder that drew crowds to theaters during the cinema of attractions era. The film's themes of poverty and sudden wealth would have resonated with working-class audiences of the time. While specific box office records are not available, the fact that Pathé continued to produce similar fantasy films suggests they were commercially successful. Modern audiences viewing the film in archives or screenings of early cinema appreciate it as a fascinating artifact of film history and a demonstration of early cinematic imagination.
Film Connections
Influenced By
- Georges Méliès' fantasy films
- Pathé Frères production style
- European fairy tale traditions
- Symbolist art movement
- Belle Époque theatrical conventions
This Film Influenced
- Later Segundo de Chomón fantasy films
- Early European stop-motion animation
- Pathé's subsequent fantasy productions
- Early trick films by other directors
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Film Restoration
The Gold Obsession survives in archived form, though like many films from 1906, it exists in limited copies. The film is preserved in several film archives including the Cinémathèque Française and other European film institutions. Some versions retain elements of the original hand-coloring, though the colors may have faded over time. The film has been digitally restored by some archives for preservation and accessibility purposes. Given its age and the fragility of early film stock, surviving copies are considered precious artifacts of early cinema history. The film is occasionally screened at special retrospectives of early cinema and Segundo de Chomón's work.