Sisif, a railwayman, and his son Elie fall in love with the beautiful Norma (who Sisif rescued from a train crash when a baby and raised as his daughter), with tragic results. Originally ...
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Title: La roue (1923)
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Cast
| Cast overview: | |||
| Séverin-Mars | ... | Sisif | |
 |
Ivy Close | ... | Norma |
| Gabriel de Gravone | ... | Elie | |
|
|
Pierre Magnier | ... | Jacques de Hersan |
|
|
Max Maxudian | ... | Le minéralogiste Kalatikascopoulos |
|
|
Georges Térof | ... | Machefer |
|
|
Gil Clary | ... | Dalilah (as Mme. Gil-Clary) |
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Plot Summary
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Storyline
Sisif, a railwayman, and his son Elie fall in love with the beautiful Norma (who Sisif rescued from a train crash when a baby and raised as his daughter), with tragic results. Originally running nine hours, this epic tragedy is notable for the way it foreshadows Gance's later 'Napoleon' in its use of innovative cinematic devices, particularly rapid cutting. Written by Michael Brooke <michael@everyman.demon.co.uk>
Genres:
DramaParents Guide:
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Details
Country:
FranceLanguage:
FrenchRelease Date:
17 February 1923 (France) See more »Also Known As:
The Wheel See more »Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
SilentColor:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1
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Did You Know?
Trivia
Included among the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die", edited by Steven Schneider. See more »Goofs
When Sisif is running in front of the locomotive, the first shot has the locomotive numbered 475. In subsequent shots, the number on the loco is 2013. See more »Quotes
Elie: Rails, wheels, smoke - how gloomy it all is! This hectic modern life is so exasperating!See more »
Gance seems overwhelmed by the theme of humanity crushed by incredible suffering, and some of the symbolism may seem heavy-handed, but this film deserves to be listed among the greats for its wonderful cinematography, the strong contrasts between the first parts portrayal of trains and the second parts moving to the beautiful, impassive scenery of the high Alps.
I have always been an admirer of Gance's Napoleon, but his J'accuse turned me off. La Roue has restored my desire to see the others: La fin de monde, Beethoven, and Austerlitz.
As for the suffering, this was made in 1921 in the aftermath of WW I, which is sufficient to account for Gance's obsession with the theme.