GOSSETTE
Regia: Sog.: da un romanzo di Charles Vayre; F.: Henri Stuckert, Albert Cohendy; Scgf.: Jean Perrier; Ass. R.: Marie-Anne Malleville; Int.: Régine Bouet (Gossette), Jean-David Evre- mond (Robert de Tayrac), Monique Chrysès (Lucienne Dornay), Jeanne Brindeau (Madame de Savières), Maurice Schutz (Monsieur de Savières), Georges Charlia (Phillipe de Sav- ières), Jean d’Yd (Mastro Varadès, il notaio), Mario Nathasio (Andriano), Paul Menant (l’autista), Bernard (Bonnefoy padre), Vialar (Bonnefoy figlio), Madeleine Guitty (Madame Bonnefoy); Prod.: Louis Nalpas, Société des Cinéromans 1° ep.: La Nuit tragique; 2° ep.: Le Revenant; 3° ep.: Face à face; 4° ep.: L’Embûche; 5° ep.: Les Lettres volées; 6° ep.: La Vengeance du mort 35mm. L.o.: 8200 m. L.: 5477 m. D.: 1° ep.: 1119 m. D.: 55′ a 18 f/s; 2° ep.: 871 m. D.: 43′; 3° ep.: 1037 m. D.: 50′; 4° ep.: 919 m. D.: 45′; 5° ep.: 827 m. D.: 41′; 6° ep.: 691 m. D.: 34′ 267′ a 18 f/s. Bn, virato / Bn, toned.
Film Notes
This successful six-part ciné-roman, although far from Dulac’s sto fortunato ciné-roman in sei parti permise alla regista di avvicinematic ideal, allowed her to introduce general audiences to the art of cinema while boosting the artistic level of this popular genre. As critic Jean Chataigner asserts, “Mme. Dulac is making the cinema progress step by step, and the public is following and applauding her.” Throughout the serial, Dulac experiments with a number of specially designed lenses to produce a variety of effects to express the characters’ visions and mental states. Dulac also reverses class and gender roles, as the female orphan Gossette comes to the aid of a vulnerable male heir falsely accused of murder in order to save his name. This film demonstrates the co-existence of the commercial and avant-garde aspects of this filmmaker’s work.
Tami Williams