Les derniers jours de Pompei

The eruption of Vesuvius plays only a minor part in this lurid tale of murder, blackmail, insanity, witches, unrequited love, gladiators, imprisonment and blindness. However, as this was made in 1913, it's all done in the best possible taste, and The Last Days of Pompeii is one of the figureheads of early Italian cinema as it's an epic feature-length movie from a time when other countries were still making small-scale 20-minute shorts. Hugely influential, then - Griffith, whose own feature-length epic was still two years off was a fan - but kind of camp.

An evil Egyptian priest menaces a young Roman maiden while a blind slave girl shows great courage in attempting to rescue her beloved master, during THE LAST DAYS OF POMPEII.

Produced less than two decades after the birth of cinema, this silent film is considered to be the first important historical epic filmed on a truly grand scale. It also heralded the arrival of the Italian movie industry as a force to be reckoned with, however briefly, in the halcyon days before World War One.

Produced by prolific director Mario Caserini (1874-1920), it features a completely static camera which has the effect of turning each shot into a living tableau. (The only exceptions are a few pan shots of flowing lava which were inserted in the film's final moments.) Caserini manages his early crowd scenes very nicely, in which everyone looks like they're actually doing something and have a reason to be in the shot. The use of light & shadow on the large sets is also most commendable.

The final twenty minutes, when Vesuvius blows her top and destroys Pompeii, features special effects which are still quite impressive. After more than an hour of silver toned film, the abrupt switch to red tints at the instant of the eruption is a definite attention grabber.

Much of the acting is very theatrical & overripe, but that was the style back then and was probably much affected by grand opera. Two performers should be noted - Fernanda Negri Pouget is quite touching as the tragic blind girl, and Ubaldo Stefani, as the hero, is unintentionally hilarious in the scene in which he drinks a witch's poisoned brew.

The film's final moments embrace a mature sensitivity and highlight the latent power of the cinematic image.

The romance of Glaucus and Ione (called Jone here) plus the hopeless love of blind Nidia, intertwine with the nefarious machinations of an Egyptian priest, to make up most of the story. For its time, this was a new departure in cinema, but today it will strike most viewers as too tame. There is no camera movement. Title cards carry little or no dialog. And most evidently the cast was not chosen for physical attractiveness, men or women. Still the story gets told, and rather catches one up, especially the portion of the plot involving blind Nidia. The special effects depicting the eruption of Vesuvius are not bad for 1913, but don't expect anything like the documentaries of the eruption of Hawaiian volcanoes!

Lots of Foolish People Review Movies...

I hope I don't number among them or any of those who reviewed this film and only saw it through their perverted, spoiled, vapid and jaded eyes and minds.

This is an important film. It happens to be one of the very first epics ever filmed. And of the very first movies to have used special effects of this magnitude.

In fact, this movie pre-dates BIRTH OF A NATION by two years. Before POMPEII and CABIRIA, movies were much shorter in length. The fact that this movie became wildly popular even though it was the unheard length of over 90 minutes is a testament to its power then and now.

It is pathetic to read reviews where people admit to laughing at this movie. It can only come from the uninformed and unsophisticated.

Complaints that the movie is static, stagy and "uncinematic" do not take into consideration that this was the way movies were made. The medium was brand new. The tradition of dramatic arts had no other precedence than the stage and the picture frame of the plastic arts as they had been until then. It was only until BIRTH OF THE NATION that the camerawork began to become interesting and creative. Trial and error sparked these marvelous innovations which made BIRTH OF THE NATION the more famous landmark film.

But back to POMPEII...I must admit that development of the story appeared to move at a stately pace and that the "real action" didn't begin to unfold until the final 20 minutes of the film.

Yet, I believe that this was done for several reasons. The act of bringing us INTO the heart of one slave woman was motivated NOT just to fill in the screen time. It was done so that we would care about her and those around her. What worth is there in seeing a disaster for the disaster's sake -- if we do not care about the lives of those involved in the tragedy?

The other reason that it unfolded slowly at the beginning to create a contrast to the escalation that occurred at the end -- which began within the germ of the slave girl's plight and literally exploded when Mt. Vesuvius blew up.

The use of the red filter was a stroke of genius that truly emphasized the calamity which the damned residents of Pompeii suffered. What is truly odd and I thought was a well-timed coincidence was the immediate and marked destruction of the film quality at the start of the devastation scene. Had it been planned that way, it would not have gone so well. It was jarring and painful to watch.

When the film's quality improved, we were offered a long series of different shots of the populace running in every direction and in an uncontrollable panic. Having been at the top of a local government building at the moment of the 9/11 tragedies, I can well attest to the panic that can ensue when a great number of people feel their lives are being threatened at once. Hundreds of us ran down a dozen or so flights of stairs without even thinking, our legs very nervously shaking, our minds reeling with a panic unimaginable.

I have visited Pompeii, the remains of which demonstrates quite narrow streets that conclude at various piazzas. To have been there and witnessed the scores of people attempting to escape the devastation with their lives, must have been a most horrific and mind-jarring experience. I am sure many were trampled and many unintended mishaps occurred along the way. To laugh at this depiction in this movie reflects a mindset which cannot conceive of the gravity of this situation.

For me it was riveting to witness this spectacle. It's obvious that I admire this film for its many virtues. I will close with only one whimsical observation. I was taken by the remarkable resemblance, at least with what camera distance we were afforded, of the slave girl to Miss Lillian Gish and her legendary waif-like countenance. It added a bit of relish to the whole -- even though I am sure that this sort of look and demeanor was quite the rage back then. It turned my head in admiration and wonderment.

The vast...and I mean vast, crowds at the arena scene were breathtaking in scope though the limits of the artistic palette back then does not afford us the optimal view.

I recommend this movie to the thoughtful film lover who will not protest to the idiosyncratic shortcomings that were so prevalent during the dawn of films and can be magnanimously forgiving for these minor peccadillos.

I love silent films. Not just the later polished ones of the 1920s, but even the early and very early ones. So, because I have seen any where from 1000-2000 silents, I can see the context for films like "The Last Days of Pompeii". And so, while some might say 'wow--that movie was boring', I actually marvel at what a HUGE accomplishment the film was when it debuted. You see, lengthy films like this one were pretty much unheard of and a long film might be 15-20 minutes long (like "The Great Train Robbery" or "The Voyage To The Moon"). So, at almost an hour and a half in length, this WAS a radical departure for films. I have seen documentaries that have proclaimed that "Birth of a Nation" was THE first full-length film, but "The Last Days of Pompeii" debuted two years earlier. As for the sets, while the backgrounds were often giant paintings, often they were not and the realism was great for 1913. There were real live lions and a nice crowd scene. The costuming was also GENERALLY good for its time, but what's with including all these ridiculously attired Egyptians in Italy?! It's as if someone said "We're running short on costumes--quick, dress some of the extras up as Egyptians!". Another problem with the film is that plot. While the story of the blind girl and the lovers is mildly interesting--it's only mildly interesting. The narrative isn't enthralling, though the sad ending was...well...sad.

Rating this film is tough. When seen today, its deficiencies are obvious. But, in 1913, it created quite a stir--and rightfully so. There also is the historical importance of the film to think about...so coming up with a numerical score is problematic. I'd give it an 8 simply because of its originality and scope.

By the way, if you are looking to see the best film about Pompeii, see the made for TV movie "Pompeii: The Last Day" (2003). It's simply outstanding in every way and quite touching as it dramatizes (in a very realistic way) the final moments of some of the volcano's victims.