Run Time: 13 minutes. Director: James Sibley Watson Jr. Writers: James Sibley Watson Jr., Melville Webber, E.E. Cummings. Based on a story by Edgar Allan Poe. Main Cast: Herbert Stern, Hildegarde Watson, Melville Webber. Cinematographer: James Sibley Watson Jr. Set Designer: Melville Webber.
When many film lovers think of art films and the silent era, their minds go to cinema made outside of the U.S. Think for instance of German expressionism, the works of Sergei Eisntein, Un Chein Andalou, or Ballet Mechanique. Still in the 1920's there was a movement in the U.S. for Avant Garde films. These films naturally never became as main stream as the slapstick comedies, westerns, or romantic melodramas. Still these films still existed and had their influence on much of cinema. One of the best of these films was 1928's The Fall of the House of Usher.
This film is anything but a straight retelling of the classic Edgar Allan Poe story. First off the film takes place in modern times, and second off the story itself is anything but clear. There are no intertitles here, making the story harder to follow. One gets a feeling though that the point of this short movie was not to tell a straightforward narrative. Even if you cannot put together what is happening on screen, the images have an emotion connection that can still easily resonate. The film follows a dream logic, where nothing is connected by a clear narrative but rather by strange desires and fears. After first seeing this film, I found it a bit disturbing, but it also left me very intrigued and almost hypnotized by what I just watched. I immediately wanted to watch it again. The second time watching it things may not have become clearer, but I was just as in awe with this strange indescribable piece of cinema. If the goal of cinema is to create a reaction from its viewer (which I fully believe it is) than this film succeeds beautifully. Interestingly the filmmakers chose this story since they hadn't read it in years and therefore would not have to strictly follow its plot.
The two main collaborators for this film came from non-cinematic backgrounds. James Sibley Watson Jr. had recovered a medical doctorate in 1923. He also published a literary journal called The Dail (E.E. Cummings (who wrote an early draft for this film) was a contributor). Appropriately The Dial often featured various works of Edgar Allen Poe. Melville Webber was an art historian who worked at the University of Rochester. The two would make one more film together after this, Lot in Sodom (1933).
This film is anything but a straight retelling of the classic Edgar Allan Poe story. First off the film takes place in modern times, and second off the story itself is anything but clear. There are no intertitles here, making the story harder to follow. One gets a feeling though that the point of this short movie was not to tell a straightforward narrative. Even if you cannot put together what is happening on screen, the images have an emotion connection that can still easily resonate. The film follows a dream logic, where nothing is connected by a clear narrative but rather by strange desires and fears. After first seeing this film, I found it a bit disturbing, but it also left me very intrigued and almost hypnotized by what I just watched. I immediately wanted to watch it again. The second time watching it things may not have become clearer, but I was just as in awe with this strange indescribable piece of cinema. If the goal of cinema is to create a reaction from its viewer (which I fully believe it is) than this film succeeds beautifully. Interestingly the filmmakers chose this story since they hadn't read it in years and therefore would not have to strictly follow its plot.
The two main collaborators for this film came from non-cinematic backgrounds. James Sibley Watson Jr. had recovered a medical doctorate in 1923. He also published a literary journal called The Dail (E.E. Cummings (who wrote an early draft for this film) was a contributor). Appropriately The Dial often featured various works of Edgar Allen Poe. Melville Webber was an art historian who worked at the University of Rochester. The two would make one more film together after this, Lot in Sodom (1933).
An issue of Movie Makers (dated December 1928) featured an article talking about the great art made by "Amateur" filmmakers apart from the Hollywood system. It stated about this film "They have through cinematic experiment, reached new artistic levels, as in 'The Fall of the House of Usher'." See the whole thing here.
In 1930 prints of this film were being sold by Home Film Libries Inc. for home viewing. The price for a copy of this was $30. To see a full advertisement for this click here.
Looking this film can be viewed for free on the website for Nation Film Preservation Foundation.
-Michael J. Ruhland
In 1930 prints of this film were being sold by Home Film Libries Inc. for home viewing. The price for a copy of this was $30. To see a full advertisement for this click here.
Looking this film can be viewed for free on the website for Nation Film Preservation Foundation.
-Michael J. Ruhland
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