First silent version of Lamartine's novel in verse few people have read (9000- verse poem ) ; the screenplay is faithful to the precis : it's a romantic story , the implausibilities of which were not lost on contemporaries: nine months before Jocelyn realized his companion is a woman! Historical errors too : in 1795 ,(the date is mentioned)when Jocelyn visits the bishop who calls him back to duty in his cells,nobles are waiting for the guillotine,but fortunately a rider announces the fall of Robespierre! The terror actually ended in 1794 ,one year before !
That said, the movie is well made , divided into six "époques " a word often used in the French cinema till the early sixties,now obsolete.
The film is a long flashback ,with brief returns to present,which makes sense for it is based on a manuscript,the diary of Jocelyn ;the subtitles are verse taken from the book .
Even though the vision of the French Revolution is ,to put it mildly , one-sided ,the attacks of the sans-culottes are very well directed :although the film is silent,one can almost hear their "Ah ça ira!" ; one scene of the executions is particularly realistic :the hangman brandishes a cut head in front of the blood-thirsty crowd.
The scenes in the mountains ,in the grotte des aigles (eagles cave) does not lack poetry ,and reflects the poet's love for nature , the ultimate refuge of romantic lovers .
Although the poet insisted he do not write a poem against the catholic priests' celibacy , this subject is always topical ,and it seems that the film deals with it: it insists on Laurence 's disorderly way of life after she had to renege on her love (a short orgy is shown) ; and
the dying priest has a vision of his forbidden love ,whose soul will join his. And the final picture is revealing too.
