Barbe-bleue (1901)

Director:

Georges Méliès

Writers:

Georges Méliès (adaptation)
Charles Perrault (fairy tale)

Release Date:

3 May 1902 (USA)

Genre:

Short | Crime | Drama | Fantasy

Plot:

A young woman becomes the eighth wife of the wealthy Bluebeard, whose first seven wives have died under mysterious circumstances.

Plot Keywords:

Bluebeard | Based On Fairy Tale | Fairy Tale | Fairy Godmother | Fairy

Cast

Georges Méliès	...	Barbe-bleue
Jeanne d'Alcy	...	Le nouvelle épouse de Barbe-bleue
Bleuette Bernon	...	La fée

Also Known As:

Bluebeard (USA)

Runtime:

9 min

Country:

France

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Silent

Company:

Star Film

Trivia:

This movie was playing at the infamous Iroquois Theater in Chicago the night it caught fire, costing 602 lives.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Before the Nickelodeon: The Cinema of Edwin S. Porter (1982)

Fairy Godmother

Film historians, like Richard Abel, sometimes split most of the films of Georges Méliès into two categories: the trick films, which are the shorter, generally one-scene films that are entirely about the attraction of the special effects, and the féeries, or fairy films, which are longer, narrative films, fantastic in their subjects, and with multiple tableaux. 'Bluebeard' is obviously one of the féeries. Characteristic of the genre, it even has a fairy that manipulates the characters, including their dreams, and the plot of the film. Later films that are often considered fairy films (or fantasy films), like 'Le Voyage dans la lune' (1902), don't involve a fairy to such an extent. Méliès began making these longer narrative films by 1899, beginning with 'Cinderella' (Cendrillon). As with 'Cinderella' and about every story film of his, Méliès uses the tableaux vivant style, dissolves to transition between the single-shot scenes and studio sets for a theatrical style of narrative. Exhibitors also tended to rely upon the extra-filmic lecturer (which was common then even for non-narrative films, but they became especially useful in aiding audiences in following complex narratives such as this one). Méliès would even provide exhibitors with the narration for the lecturers--including story details that would otherwise be uncertain or unknown. In addition, as with 'Cinderella,' 'Bluebeard' is based on a story by Charles Perrault. Other filmmakers would eventually create more cinematic story films, but at first, they would imitate Méliès' féeries, but with their own regional influences, such as in Robert W. Paul's 'The Magic Sword' (1901) and Edwin S. Porter's 'Jack and the Beanstalk' (1902). Pathé was also quick to imitate all things Méliès and to try to take over his market.

On its own, 'Bluebeard,' at ten scenes, is an elaborate production for its time when compared to the short films of often only one shot that continued to coexist with the development of story films such as 'Bluebeard.' Méliès would even continue to make both kinds of films. Additionally, although stagy, the set designs by Méliès were the best in filmdom at the time. The film's story is also very good for a Méliès' film, including two rather macabre scenes. I especially appreciate the demon, or devil, and fairy characters. They both watch over Bluebeard's wife; the demon, or devil, tempts her into danger, while the fairy protects her against harm. In the dream scene, they both control the wife's superimposed dream images above her. The fairy's control of the narrative reappears in the aforementioned 'The Magic Sword' and 'Jack and the Beanstalk,' as well as in other Méliès' films such as 'Kingdom of the Fairies' (1903)--reaffirming its centrality in the fairy films.