J'accuse

J'accuse 1919

7.50

The story of two men, one married, the other the lover of the other's wife, who meet in the trenches of the First World War, and how their tale becomes a microcosm for the horrors of war.

1919

L'Assommoir

L'Assommoir 1908

5.60

Everyman Coupeau's attempts to stop drinking are routinely thwarted by the wicked and vengeful Virginie. Based on Zola's novel, Capellani's film is about the free fall of a group of working-class French folk into degradation and tragedy due to carelessness, jealousy, and alcohol abuse. At the time of its release, L'Assommoir was hugely successful.

1908

The Three Musketeers

The Three Musketeers 1921

7.00

A 14-episode silent adaptation of Alexandre Dumas' The Three Musketeers.

1921

The Electric Hotel

The Electric Hotel 1908

6.12

An enthusiastic young couple is astounded with modern technology's giant leaps in the fascinating field of electricity.

1908

The Dancing Pig

The Dancing Pig 1907

6.17

A pig dressed in fancy clothes flirts with a pretty girl, but she humiliates him and tears off his suit; she then makes him dance for her affections.

1907

Aladdin and His Wonder Lamp

Aladdin and His Wonder Lamp 1906

6.12

The legend of Aladdin and his magic lamp: Aladdin finds a magic lamp which brings him wealth, luxury, and marriage to a princess. But his rival, an evil magician, steals the lamp for himself. Aladdin must regain the lamp or lose everything.

1906

Queen Elizabeth

Queen Elizabeth 1912

4.20

Episodes from the life of Elizabeth I, Queen of England (1533-1603), focusing on her ill-fated love affair with Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex.

1912

The Count of Monte Cristo

The Count of Monte Cristo 1918

6.00

Le comte de Monte Cristo (15 Episodes). Monte Cristo, based upon Alexandre Dumas' novel of the same name, tells the story of Edmond Dantès, an innocent man jailed for 14 years after being wrongfully convicted. He succeeds to escape prison, finds a treasure on the isle of Montecristo and wreaks revenge on the ones who put him in prison.

1918

Across the Deadline

Across the Deadline 1925

1

There is a feud of 30 years' standing between the Revelle and Wainwright families, dwelling in the Apache country, despite which Shirley, daughter of Martin Revelle, and Clem Wainwright fall in love. The lovers are discovered meeting by Clem's rival, Ben Larrago, who informs on them (Exhibitors Trade Review, 23rd May 1925).

1925

The Death Agony of the Eagles

The Death Agony of the Eagles 1922

1

After the death of Napoleon, colonel Montaner plots to restore the Empire, but falls in love with Lise, a beautiful dancer.

1922

Drama in the Air

Drama in the Air 1904

5.80

This Gaston Velle movie from 1904 was a fairly venturesome piece of film-making for the era. First, its credits include Jules Verne: his second after the Méliès TRIP TO THE MOON a couple of years earlier. Second, it uses a dozen cuts, irised lenses -- the balloonists' views through their telescope -- panning shots, combined images and tints. The tints were standard for the era, but everything else had to be achieved with great difficulty. In an era when most movies still lasted a minute with a stationary camera and a single set-up, this was pretty much state of the art.

1904

Germinal

Germinal 1913

5.20

Based on Emile Zola's novel, an uncompromisingly harsh and realistic story of a coalminers' strike in northern France in the 1860s.

1913

La Terre

La Terre 1921

6.30

As Jean is walking across the countryside in search of work, he helps and befriends a young woman, Françoise, who is having trouble controlling the cow that she is leading. Jean finds work at a local farm, but he soon finds himself caught in the middle of the conflicts in Françoise's family.

1921

Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast 1908

1

An old merchant gets lost in the forest and arrives at a magnificent garden where he sits and picks some magnificent roses. Suddenly, the hideous Beast emerges from the ground in a burst of flames and condemns him to death unless one of his three daughters agrees to marry him.

1908

Les Misérables - Part 1: Jean Valjean

Les Misérables - Part 1: Jean Valjean 1913

1.00

The story begins with Jean Valjean as a humble worker endeavoring to provide for his invalid mother. They live in a squalid home, made more wretched by his inability to provide sufficient food. He goes out in search of work, but is unsuccessful. Finally, in desperation, he steals a loaf of bread regardless of consequences. He hastens home with it, pursued by a crowd, and gives it to his mother. Valjean is arrested for the theft and sentenced to five years at hard labor.

1913

Luke's Double

Luke's Double 1916

1

Luke dreams that he has a double. One 'Luke' gets in all kinds of trouble, while the other pays the consequences.

1916