This is one of the weirdest films I've ever seen from the filmmaker Segundo de Chomón--and much of this is because the film is set in Hell and the leading man is the Devil himself! Interestingly, he looks much more like a skeleton than 'Ol Scratch and he is bored. In fact, he's so bored that he decides to put on a magic show! Assisted by his main squeeze (Julienne Mathieu--the director's wife), the Devil does one trick after another after another. In fact, there are so many that it's fatiguing. It's much like watching three or four of Georges Méliès films (who Chomón is clearly copying from) and stringing them into one long film.
The film has some serious pluses--nice costumes, terrific sets and a weirdness that is wonderful. A huge minus that Chomón isn't innovating here but is 'copying' the work of another man--using a lot of the tricks innovated by Méliès. Fortunately, however, he still manages to make a very nice film.
The film has some serious pluses--nice costumes, terrific sets and a weirdness that is wonderful. A huge minus that Chomón isn't innovating here but is 'copying' the work of another man--using a lot of the tricks innovated by Méliès. Fortunately, however, he still manages to make a very nice film.