Cuore fedele

One great benefit of watching many films is experiencing them conversing with each other. Some anticipate others, some quibble, some steal, inspire, annotate. Epstein's "Coeur fidèle" (1923) enriches one of my favourite films, Vigo's "L'Atalante" (1934), which in turn enriches Epstein's film tremendously. Both move in a dreamlike world of incessant flowing of breathtaking images that are able to fill whole movies with their individual stories. Both see love in highly cinematic terms, something which I've most recently encountered in Wong's "Fa yeung nin wa" (2000) and Malick's "The New World" (2005). I also find some Epstein in Kaurismäki, as well.

There are so many unique moments of delight it's impossible to list them all. The first few minutes of exposition are masterful in how they paint the atmosphere, the characters, the visual mood of the film in so short a time. Characters sift out of focus and into focus again, Epstein's eye catches an object, a moment not directly pertaining to what's happening but where it's happening and how. The impression is so strong I'm not going to get this out of my head for a long time. And I don't want to.

The film has been released on Blu-ray (Region B) by the Masters of Cinema series, whose transfer is breathtaking.

"Coeur Fidèle" is a very simple story:Marie 's in love with Jean,but she is forced to marry Petit Paul,who,in spite of his name ,is an alcoholic brute.

Epstein's script was probably inspired by the novelists from the nineteenth century,probably Victor Hugo and Emile Zola.Marie is nobody's child:she was brought up by a shrew and her husband who never showed some affection to her:she is akin to Cosette or Fantine in "les Miserables ".Petit Paul seems to come from Zola's "L'Assommoir" the seventh volume in the Rougon-Macquart saga.

Marie and Jean are unfortunate lovers ;Jean is a good man,in the noblest

sense of the word .Epstein's closest relative in the cinema field is Frank Borzage in "Coeur Fidele",with whom he shares the same fascination for the fair and the merry-go-rounds (see "little man what now?") Like Abel Gance ,Epstein was a pioneer: the scene on the fairground has a sense of madness which makes the viewer dizzy ;it predates Hitchcock's experimentations in "Strangers on a train" by thirty years.For that scene alone,the movie would be essential viewing;with the addition of another extraordinary scene when the crippled girl,whose crutch has been crushed by a car crawls all along the way to save her friends,it becomes a major twenties French classic.

Coeur Fidèle, a forgotten movie today, is very representative of the best that European cinema had to offer at the beginning of the 20th century. The formal beauty of the images in this picture have rarely been matched in the whole history of cinema. Some scenes of this movie, like the one of the fair, with the girl riding wood horses with her kidnapper is very audacious, there for instance Epstein uses very effectively the pace and juxtaposition of the images to depict the intensity of her emotions.

The audacity of Epstein, very influenced by cubism and surrealism, takes us from a very banal story to a breathtaking intellectual adventure.

And here we are once again: whether or not other creators may have truly been first, we see in this 1923 feature an unmistakable artistry in the storytelling, and sharp film-making techniques, that seem novel and possibly advanced for the movie industry at this time. Discrete framing, pointed use of light and shadow, close-ups, multiple images laid over top of one another, employing curt cuts and sequencing to accentuate and foster tension - we get all this, and even instances of camera movement, and camera angles distinct from the plane of action. Whether or not other creators may have truly been first, it's altogether wonderful to see all this in Jean Epstein's 'Coeur fidèle,' elevating what is already a compelling story of a kind, hard-working man, a brute, and the woman who is desperate for a life of her own choosing. This film is marked by marvelous intelligence, skill, and care from the very start, and while it may not do anything to change the minds of those who have difficulty with the silent era, viewers who are receptive to early cinema will find much to love here.

The cast give fabulously adept performances capturing the strong emotions of the tableau, and ably passing on the same airs to the audience. Edmond Van Daële is unexpectedly unsettling as antagonistic Petit Paul, while the conflicting feelings of love, sadness, and determination weighing on Jean are given vivid life by Léon Mathot. I dare say Gina Manès rather outshines the both of them, inhabiting beleaguered Marie with a haunted expression and comportment that tugs fiercely on one's heartstrings. Not to count out any other part of these 87 minutes, but it's hard not to be especially impressed with the carnival sequence in the first half. I say this in part recognizing the power of the acting, but especially in light of the exquisite editing that helps this to be an a tremendous example early in the medium's history of scenes of merriment utilized to spotlight and indeed amplify a predominant dark mood. It can't be overstated what brilliance this scene demonstrates, which naturally reflects superbly on Epstein - and even at that, no part of the whole is truly any lesser.

The tale is just as engrossing in the second half as it turns even more dour, and the strength of every contribution remains just as vibrant. I can only repeat that the cast is great; as both director, and co-writing with his wife Marie (also capably co-starring in a smaller but pivotal supporting role), Epstein orchestrates shots and scenes - ever taking utmost advantage of those techniques noted above - that ensures every ponderous beat of the drama lands with all the force and impact that it can and should. Meanwhile, even the hair, makeup, and costume design lend considerably to the severity of the atmosphere, let alone the production design, art direction, and filming locations. Illustrating such round excellence, a moment in which Jean simply climbs a flight of stairs shows a level of care, ingenuity, and expertise that's plainly gratifying (as if anything herein did not provide ample like illustration). From top to bottom 'Coeur fidèle' is rather terrifically well made, and extra smart about every choice in its craftsmanship. Not least considering how magnificently well the title has been preserved in the past 100 years, frankly what ultimately comes across is that this matches or surpasses many of its contemporaries in every capacity, with outstanding detail in every way.

Before I sat to watch I surely expected that I'd enjoy this; I love silent movies. Still I'm downright enchanted with how stupendous it all is. Exceptional writing, direction, editing, camerawork, and acting, and all the fine work of those behind the scenes, result in an immensely absorbing drama that is much more than what it seems from the outside looking in. Every constituent element in and of itself makes this 1923 feature worth watching; taken all together, the sum total is exemplary. I can understand why early cinema doesn't appeal to all viewers, and I'd have said the same of myself at one time. 'Coeur fidèle' boasts a striking vitality, however, that far outshines whatever issues one might perceive with the standards of the time. Truthfully, it's even better than I could have hoped; from the unassuming beginning through to the suspenseful climax and a balanced, surprisingly thoughtful ending, I'm quite of the mind that this is outright masterful for its exhibition of film-making and story-telling prowess. It might take a bit of work to find this to watch, but if you're a fan of the silent era, this is more than worth the effort.

Who, even among the proudest of film geeks, even knows the name, Jean Epstein, in today's world of comic book hero movie franchises and the indiscriminate remaking of films that were perfect to begin with, e.g. Psycho, The Ladykillers, etc., And even-in the case of Halloween-Correct me if I'm wrong, a Third remake, and yes, I'm gonna go there the FOURTH REMAKE OF A STAR IS BORN!-ENOUGH! I, admittedly, fairly recently, discovered the genius of Jean Epstein-after finally discovering silent Genius, Abel Gance-And Thanks to God or whatever, I discovered a whole World of artistic genius within the silent era, that I am truly grateful for stumbling into....Coeur Fidele is a brilliant work of uncompromising artistic integrity...Go on, give it a shot -you just may discover something about Artistic Expression you didn't even know exists. . . . -todd gold