La chûte de Troie

A very interesting film, considering it was made in 1911. I read somewhere it was very important, after its distribution in the U. S., for the further development of American cinema. Lavish sceneries, impressive sets, wonderful photography will be acknowledged even nowadays. What will be less appealing for today's audiences is - I think - the acting style.

As is often the case in the films of the period - after the early inception of motion pictures, but before their more uniform routinized productions of the '20s - film-makers had to face the problem of conveying meaning. Theatre was a model; but in films you didn't have the assistance of the spoken language. Before some more cinematic patterns were discovered and utilized (close-ups, just to name one) one could only rely on gestures. The usual cinematic shot of the period is the so-called wide shot, that shows the entire human figure; the movements and gestures that are possible, and visible, in this wide shot are those of the arms and legs.

That's why in "La caduta di Troia" we see all of the actors display an uninterrupted sequence of ample arm movements. It's like we just jumped in a Gym Class for Elders. Some of those movements and gestures are still intelligible today, as stereotyped significants for some emotions. Most of them are not, unfortunately.

In 1911, three Italian films wowed the world with their technical quality, large sets and use of large casts: "L'inferno", "Gerusalemme liberata" and "La Caduta di Troia". Director Giovanni Pastrone goes beyond the usual technique of the time of portraying historical films in front of painted backdrops. He ordered parts of Troy used in the scenes to be reconstructed thus giving the film depth of scene rarely seen at the time. Audiences were amazed and the film was a huge commercial success.

But even more than just the huge sets, Pastrone shows his skill with utilizing the extra space effectively. Actors moved from the back to the front in leisurely fashion and the camera utilizes deep-focus photography so that every object or person is always in focus no matter whether located at the back or at the front. A technical masterpiece for it's time and a film that set new standards.

A 28 minute version can be found on the "Cineteca Milano" web-site which is close to the film's original length. Well-worth hunting down to get a true appreciation of this film.

The Fall of Troy adapts the Iliad to the big screen format. I've had the opportunity to see a 25 minutes long print, but camera speed in the early days was so slow and rather jumpy at times, it's got to be readapted in current restorations so whether I've got to see the full version or some scenes are missing, I can't tell. The Iliad has always been both less epic and popular than her younger brother, the Oddyssey. Hence, Pastrone had hard work to accomplish upon making this one, yet he checked out just fine.

The story is a classic we're all familiar with, Paris kidnaps Menelaus' wife Helen, the Greeks take this as an offense declaring therefore war on Troy (homeland of Paris). After years of battling, the Greeks come up with the magnificent idea of building a wooden horse that will take them into Troy, setting the city on fire and winning the war like that. The movie misses some important parts as it fails to portray the allegorical Gods atmosphere, no trace of Achilles is shown either, and many other characters are missing as well: Hector, Cassandra, Ulysses or Zeus himself among many others.

Yet, the print was pretty well conserved and the great epic ending scene has pushed me into rating it 6 instead of 5 so that's one extra point thanks to the good taste it's left in my mouth. Other movies were better and more entertaining but Pastrone shows some of his talent and manages to make this work.

One of the first pre-WW1 historical spectaculars to come out of Italy. Co-directed By Giovanni Pastrone, who would go on to direct the hugely influential Cabiria, and Luigi Romano Borgnetto. La caduta di Troia tells the familiar tale of the Trojan Horse on an epic scale with hugely impressive battle scenes (for the time), and a truly spectacular finale as the city of Troy burns. One not to be missed by anyone interested in silent movies or the development of cinema.

Paride arrives at the court of Troy as an ambassador. With the help of Venus (superimposed), Parie kidnaps Elena, who is at first hesitant. To get revenge, the Greeks declare war on Troy. The Trojans fall into the trap of the Greeks of the wooden horse, which is introduced into the city by breaking down the gates. The Greeks hidden in the horse set fire to the city while the others burst through the knocked down door. Paris is killed while trying desperately to escape. The multiplicity of actors and dynamic scenes anticipate the kolossal "Cabiria" (1915) and become a feature of the Italian historical film that inspires directors like Griffith in movies like "Birth of nation" (1915) and "Intolerance" (1916). The musical accompaniment is by Antonio Coppola.