Le parfum de la dame en noir

One of the earliest "talkie" sequels made in any country, "Le Parfum De La Dame En Noir" follows up on the events of the previous year's "Le Mystère De La Chambre Jaune", made by the same director, reuniting most of the same cast. The story this time is weaker: the villain's secret identity had already been revealed in the previous chapter, and nothing much seems to be happening until well over an hour in. But the filmmaking technique is more advanced: Marcel L' Herbier's camera is restless and spry, it frequently finds itself is strange places (the film is set in a huge chateau overlooking the Monte Carlo sea). There are also some rub-your-eyes acrobatics performed by Rouletabille. **1/2 out of 4.