L'Hirondelle et la Mésange

Nearly fifteen years after this film was made Jean Vigo put the 'canal film' firmly on the map with his classic 'L'Atalante'; a genre to which the British have also occasionally returned with the likes of Charles Crichton's 'Painted Boats' (1945) and Duncan Wood's 'The Bargee' (1964), with Harry H. Corbett.

Theatre director André Antoine takes us on a picturesque travelogue taking in views of Antwerp and Ghent at a leisurely pace, as a narrative gradually develops when a young man (Pierre Alcover) joins the crew with whom we anticipate a romance to blossom with the pretty and unattached sister-in-law Griet (Jane Maylianes). But in a remarkably early screen acknowledgement of the fatal allure of the older woman, his eye falls instead on his employer's wife Marthe (Maguy Deliac), and trouble looms.

The pace so far has been as measured as that of the two barges themselves. But suddenly, as if abruptly required by producer Charles Pathé to pack a sense of urgency hitherto entirely lacking into the fifteen minutes remaining to him, director Antoine ends the film with a frenetic burst of activity and then abruptly stops; as if he's used up his allotted time.

On the canals in the north of France and in Belgium,Pierre has got two barges.He is helped by his wife Marthe and his sister-in-law,Griet.

Deemed "not commercial enough" ,"L'Hirondelle et la Mésange" was indefinitely shelved and never released .It was 1982 before Henri Colpi ("Une Aussi Longue Absence" ) edited the negatives ;they added music which is splendid :the accordion sometimes sounds like an organ.

It is sure easy to see the reason why the film was never theatrically released.It's almost a documentary,with a plot kept to the minimum.However,the pictures are splendid ,sometimes worthy of a Jacques Brel song (such as "le Plat Pays"),taking us to Belgian ancient magnificent towns..Entirely shot on location,it was a movie ahead of its time.

The plot is minimal,and the story line really happens only in the last third. Paul's desire is filmed in a disturbing way:it includes voyeurism,fetishism (the bandages),rape attempt.It's a far cry from a romantic love affair on the quiet waters of a canal.And ,it's the last straw (and probably one of the reasons the producers decided to leave it in the cans),the ending is thoroughly immoral!

Like this?Try this.....

"L'Atalante "aka "Le Chaland qui Passe" Jean Vigo 1933-34

Herr Pierre Van Groot ( Herr Louis Ravet ) owns two barges; Van Groot, together with his wife, Marthe ( Dame Maguy Deliac ) and his sister-in-law, Griet ( Dame Jane Maylianes ) navigates along the north channels between Belgium and France. Herr Pierre transports construction material in his barges but he earns extra francs trafficking in diamonds which he hides in the boat's rudder whenever he reaches the borders of those two countries. Pierre engages a new first mate, Michel ( Herr Pierre Alcover ) but he doesn't know that Michel is wise to the diamond smuggling and, pretty soon many problems develop.

"L'Hirondelle Et La Mésange" is an excellent, dark, dramatic and violent silent film directed by Herr André Antoine in 1920 but it was not released theatrically until 1982!; The French distributor of the oeuvre, Charles Pathé, considered in those early times that the film was too much like a documentary ( a characteristic of Herr André Antoine films, by the way… ) and for this reason, "L'Hirondelle Et La Mésange" was forgotten in a gloomy French cellar until the Cinémathèque Française found six hours of rushes of the film, and under the direction of André Antoine himself, the film was restored and finally released after sixty years.

After such a long time, silent film fans had the chance to enjoy an interesting film that obviously didn't deserve such treatment and oblivion. The film has an important documentary aspect that fascinates the audience immediately. It was filmed entirely outdoors and the audience travels with Herr Pierre and his family, sharing the hardships of their lives along the channels both in their hard work ( navigation manoeuvres, heaving, transporting ) and their leisure time( visiting the cities that they pass by and attending their public festivities).

So, the film combines documentary ( old European cities and their way of life of the past century ) and realism ( a piece of real life that doesn't exist any more ) in an effective way in its first part but then the mood changes when the drama develops and the end of the film is both unexpected and disturbing ( for its lack of remorse ).

The film flows like the river; strongly, constantly and without looking back, a fascinating film fortunately recovered from oblivion.

And now, if you'll allow me, I must temporarily take my leave because this German Count must navigate in trouble Teutonic waters.

Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien http://ferdinandvongalitzien.blogspot.com/