Although the film is excellent in all its aspects, the best thing about 'Menilmontant' is arguably the central performance by Nadia Sibirskaia; her acting during the episode in which her character is contemplating suicide is extraordinary. The story is simple to the point of cliché but given a surrealist edge by the framing acts of unexplained violence. The film gathers depth and resonance as it proceeds. As with all of the best silent films, one is not conscious of the 'absence' of the spoken word.
I would happily recommend Kirsanoff's film to any newcomer to serious film making of the 1920s. It is notable for its restraint in portraying powerful emotions. In the version mentioned below, the film is enhanced by a deeply sympathetic score (not always the case).
I saw this film on the Kino Video DVD 'Avant-Garde: Experimental Cinema of the 1920s and 1930s - Films from the Raymond Rohauer Collection' (2 disks, K402 DVD). Black and white silent film with musical accompaniment. 37 minutes running time. This collection, which I recommend, includes another, shorter film by Kirsanoff, 'Brumes d'Automne', in which Sibirskaia makes another memorable appearance, and which confirms Kirsanoff's talent.
I would happily recommend Kirsanoff's film to any newcomer to serious film making of the 1920s. It is notable for its restraint in portraying powerful emotions. In the version mentioned below, the film is enhanced by a deeply sympathetic score (not always the case).
I saw this film on the Kino Video DVD 'Avant-Garde: Experimental Cinema of the 1920s and 1930s - Films from the Raymond Rohauer Collection' (2 disks, K402 DVD). Black and white silent film with musical accompaniment. 37 minutes running time. This collection, which I recommend, includes another, shorter film by Kirsanoff, 'Brumes d'Automne', in which Sibirskaia makes another memorable appearance, and which confirms Kirsanoff's talent.