The Talisman or Sheep's Foot

Herr Albert Capellani was a remarkable French film director pioneer who began his career, as did many others in those ancient times, in the world of theatre; this was a very useful background to have since silent films were often based on stage plays. But his imagination and efforts took full advantage of the possibilities of the new medium, allowing him to make some outstanding pictures (sometimes primitive but still enchanting for that very reason) in which he was obviously influenced by another genius French film director, Herr Georges Méliès.

At this point in necessary to remark and emphasize the name of another remarkable silent film pioneer, Herr Segundo de Chomón, whose special effects and trick photography work were outstanding for the time. Both Herr Capellani und Herr Chomón worked for the French company "Pathé Frères", and collaborated on "Le Pied De Mouton" ( The Sheep's Foot ) (1907), Herr Capellani as director and Herr Chomón in charge of the special effects. Such an artistic collaboration made possible a wonderful film.

"Le Pied De Mouton" is an adaptation of an old French stage play titled "The Talisman" written by Herr Alphonse Martainville und Herr César Ribié. The movie tells an enchanting fairy tale, a comic play primitive in film narrative ( indebted to theatre in artistic terms ) but brilliant in art design and technical effects. The atmosphere is hilarious, oneiric and delicious. The film tells the story of Herr Gusman and Frau Léonora, two lovers who must deal with many spells and troubles in order to preserve their love. The tale is full of princes and princesses, damsels in distress, good witches and wicked lords and is an amazing piece of work. The trick effects are captivating and every hand-coloured frame reflects the magic of those early silent days.

And now, if you'll allow me, I must temporarily take my leave because this German Count must eat one sheep's foot for lunch while saving the other three for dinner.

The other reviewer of this 1907 short is entirely right in emphasizing that, from the very beginning, most film directors began their careers in filmmaking with high knowledge of the styles of 19th century theater. "Le Pied de Mouton", otherwise known as "The Talisman or the Sheep's Foot", is largely based on the format it uses of this theatrical style of storytelling which had originated all the way back in the late 1890s. Georges Méliès, like many things, was the man to begin this style of filmmaking, the earliest example of a theatrical multi-scene film being all the way back in 1899's "Cinderella". ("Come Along Do!" of 1898 is indeed the first multi-scene film, but in its lack of theatricality and use of more realistic sets is not the first film creditable with this). The style had quickly been adapted into more and more works of what became the 20th century, with "A Trip to the Moon" (1902), "The Kingdom of Fairies" (1903), (both by Méliès) and others, such as those of Pathé Frères ("Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, 1902, and "Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp", 1906).

What is interesting in particular about these works is that many of them were appropriately based off of old theater plays from the previous century. Yes, even "A Trip to the Moon". In the case of "The Talisman", Pathé director Albert Capellani takes the popular French play by Alphonse Martainville and César Ribié and makes what is essentially a film version of it. All most film directors knew of storytelling back then was the theater style, and so that's what they did when making movies like this. Everything about this short is very stagy and old-fashioned when compared to the modern method of cutting which would be developed by Griffith in four more years. The sets are obviously sets, the acting is overplayed, the shots are the typical long ones, no closeups nor medium closeups, and lots of stage machinery--for instance, the huge head. (The apotheosis is particularly stagy-looking). The effects are mainly what set this apart from watching an actual stage play, but even quite a few of them are done in a theatrical way, such as crafting trapdoors and such for people to vanish into the floor.

The story, in addition, is a rather fantastical one, perfect as a play. It tells a narrative of a poor young man in love with a wealthier lady, who in turn loves him but is separated by the man's rival who wants to marry her as well. About to kill himself, the man is unable to and then a fairy intervenes, creating a magical talisman which is a single sheep's leg. Using this leg, the man can defeat his rivals and win his beloved...until the leg gets into the wrong hands, and is used for evil purposes.

For one of these stagy fantasies, the story is actually fairly easy to follow and there are also title cards that explain, somewhat, the action in each scene. Only towards the end does it get rather confusing; the payback to the rival does not seem understandable and what happens makes no sense. The entire thing is done in beautiful color--not hand-color as the other reviewer said but probably stencil-color--and it makes the short visually attractive to see.

For whatever reason, at the end of the short there is a very brief closeup shot of a live bird, colored red and flapping its wings on a perch. Because the company's trademark was a cock, I assume this might have been put at the end for copyright reasons, although other companies that wanted to steal the short for their own could easily have snipped this part off--and each title card already had the trademark stamped to it. It's more likely, then, that this was put at the end by some collector who thought it might emphasize the company that made the film.