Zigomar vs. Nick Carter
"The Greatest Duel of the Century: The King of Crime vs. The King of Detectives!"
Plot
Following the events of the previous Zigomar installments, the elusive master criminal Zigomar continues to terrorize France with his gang, the 'Z-Bandits.' The French authorities, desperate to end his reign of terror, enlist the help of the legendary American detective Nick Carter, who travels to Paris to lead the investigation. Carter faces a series of elaborate death traps, including a sequence where he is nearly crushed by a descending ceiling and another involving a high-speed chase through the Parisian underworld. He is aided by Olga, a former lover and accomplice of Zigomar who has turned against the villain out of a desire for revenge. After a climactic confrontation in a secret lair, Carter successfully captures the criminal mastermind, but Zigomar cheats the executioner by consuming a hidden poison capsule during his transport to prison, leaving his ultimate fate ambiguous.
About the Production
The film was part of a massive marketing push by Éclair to compete with Pathé and Gaumont. Director Victorin-Hippolyte Jasset utilized the popularity of 'pulp' literature, specifically the Nick Carter stories which were widely translated in France. The production was noted for its use of real Parisian locations combined with elaborate studio sets designed to look like subterranean hideouts. It was one of the first films to utilize a 'crossover' concept between two established literary characters from different authors.
Historical Background
In 1912, France was the center of the global film industry, and the 'film d'art' movement was giving way to more populist, action-oriented cinema. The rise of the 'Apache' street gangs in Paris created a public fascination with organized crime, which this film exploited. This era also saw the birth of the 'detective vs. criminal' trope in cinema, reflecting a societal obsession with the struggle between modern forensic science and the chaotic underworld of the industrial age.
Why This Film Matters
Zigomar vs. Nick Carter is a foundational text in the development of the crime thriller and the 'super-criminal' subgenre. It directly paved the way for Louis Feuillade's more famous 'Fantômas' and 'Les Vampires' series. Its international success, particularly in Asia and South America, demonstrated the universal appeal of the action-detective narrative. It is also credited with helping to establish the 'series' format, where recurring characters would draw audiences back to the theater week after week.
Making Of
Victorin-Hippolyte Jasset was a pioneer of the crime serial and insisted on a level of realism that was rare for 1912. He frequently took his crew into the actual slums of Paris to capture the 'Apache' subculture of the time. During the filming of the escape scenes, Charles Krauss reportedly performed many of his own stunts, including climbing exterior walls. The production faced minor legal hurdles regarding the rights to the Nick Carter character, as the American publishers were protective of the brand, but the French popularity of the detective allowed the production to proceed under the guise of an 'adaptation.'
Visual Style
The film utilizes deep-focus photography in several interior scenes, allowing action to take place in both the foreground and background simultaneously. Jasset and his cinematographer used tinted film stock to convey mood—blue for night scenes and red for scenes involving fire or intense danger. The use of 'iris' shots to highlight specific clues or facial expressions was also a notable stylistic choice.
Innovations
The film is noted for its sophisticated use of cross-cutting between the detective's pursuit and the criminal's flight, creating a sense of simultaneous action. It also featured impressive practical effects for the time, including a simulated explosion and a complex mechanical set for the 'crushing room' trap.
Music
As a silent film, there was no recorded soundtrack. However, Éclair provided theaters with a suggested musical cue sheet that emphasized suspenseful orchestral pieces and popular French marches of the era.
Famous Quotes
Zigomar: 'You may have the law, Carter, but I have the city!' (Intertitle)
Nick Carter: 'There is no corner of Paris where the Z-Bandits can hide from me.' (Intertitle)
Memorable Scenes
- The 'Descending Ceiling' trap where Nick Carter must find a hidden lever before being crushed.
- The final confrontation in the catacombs where Zigomar uses a smoke screen to attempt an escape.
- The dramatic scene of Zigomar's 'suicide' in the police carriage, which left audiences questioning if he was truly dead.
Did You Know?
- The character of Zigomar was originally created by writer Léon Sazie in a serial for 'Le Matin' in 1910.
- This film is the second entry in Jasset's Zigomar trilogy, following 'Zigomar, roi des voleurs' (1911) and preceding 'Zigomar peau d'anguille' (1913).
- The film was so popular in Japan that it led to a 'Zigomar craze,' resulting in several unauthorized Japanese sequels and eventually a government ban on such films for 'corrupting the youth.'
- Alexandre Arquillière, who played Zigomar, became so identified with the role that he struggled to find work in other genres for several years.
- The character of Nick Carter was played by Charles Krauss, who was a frequent collaborator of Jasset and later became a director himself.
- The film features an early example of a 'gadget' in crime cinema: a specialized breathing apparatus used to survive a gas chamber.
- Zigomar's signature look—a hooded cloak and mask—influenced the visual design of later pulp villains like Fantômas.
- The film was released in four distinct 'chapters' or 'episodes' shown in a single sitting, a precursor to the serial format.
What Critics Said
At the time of its release, French critics praised the film for its 'breathless' pacing and the technical quality of its photography. However, some moral crusaders attacked the film for glorifying the ingenuity of the criminal Zigomar. Modern film historians view it as a masterpiece of early narrative construction, noting that Jasset was far ahead of his time in terms of editing and visual storytelling compared to his contemporaries.
What Audiences Thought
The film was a massive commercial hit, leading to packed theaters across Europe. Audiences were particularly enthralled by the 'death traps' and the high-stakes rivalry between the two leads. In Japan, the film's impact was so profound that 'Zigomar' became a generic term for a thief in the Japanese lexicon for a short period.
Film Connections
Influenced By
- The Nick Carter dime novels
- Léon Sazie's Zigomar feuilletons
- The Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle
This Film Influenced
- Fantômas (1913)
- Les Vampires (1915)
- Dr. Mabuse the Gambler (1922)
- The Crimson Bat (1912 Japanese adaptation)
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Film Restoration
The film was long considered partially lost, but a significant portion was recovered and restored by the Cinémathèque Française and the Netherlands Film Museum (EYE Institute).