Le Vampire - by Jean Painleve
This film seems to me to be an early version of what we might think of as a ‘National Geographic’ documentary. But unlike most educational films of the following decades though, this one is full of lush imagery and imagination. These creatures are being macro analyzed and personifying human emotion. In our daily routine, we rarely give thought to the tiny microcosms. We might glance over something as seemingly insignificant as a caterpillar, but in the film it is full of rythm and precision. The narrator compares the vampire bat to a crippled man hobbling along and describes how it administers its kiss of death. Suddenly we start to see the beauty in the subtle nuances that take place around us.
After viewing this film, I was left questioning why this is classified with the avant-garde films. It almost seems more romantic to me. But once again, I need to understand the context of when and where this film was made. After World War II, perhaps it’s a time that we look more closely at the world around us and appreciate what it has to offer.Avant-garde is about pushing boundries and challenging the norm, so I guess in a way I would agree that this film is just that.
*update 9/26*
I was thinking more about Le Vampire and the way it is narrated reminded me a lot of the movie Amelie. The intro to the movie seems that it may have been inspired by Painleve, in the way that they both have this rich narration that draws you in. Hmm….