687 .
Jer{lo ruoJt 3ur1pd uaql pup 'uaeJf,s eqt uo
eceds pue etun Io suoltou 1p Sur8ue;.lear
tsa8eul pelellosseuou dlpraua8'paDadxa
-un qlrl\ dlrlear 1o sa8eut ela.rruof, Sulsodel
-xn[ :ulsr1ea.uns ruoJt paFeJlsqe eq 01 uaas
lErll slusluele 3Ja^1 Jaq PelseJslul l?tLK
'ult\oP saIJoOI{l
srq eloJrr\ Ja^a uolaJg aJolaq Suoy ursqea;rns
Jo stueuela SuDerodrorul sE1( aqs 'paddors
srsrlEeJrns Jeqlo aqr JeuE Penul}uoJ
PEr{ (slsIIEaJJns
eql eJoteq suly Sunleru sem
pue
relnq '9151 ul urp lsrg ral{ euop 3utiru11
'u1!\o Jeq ldaoxa asnru
s,auodue eq or pasnlal JEInC lng r'uoll
-uur8eurr eptu eqr ro1 uoDerldsut arua.rd
-ns aql 'asnru 1o ru.ro1 rsaq8tq egl 'rueatp
e sem 'palels aq 'uuruorlX 'ruJoJ tJE A\eu P
ro1 sraed srq yo srq8noql uotuulof, eIIt u^\oP
plpl ppq uolarg grpuv 'utsqoattng ]o otsaJt
-uory suqu\'rZ6I dg 'sanuaru dlree eql ur
sseusnorf,suof, f,rtsrue or rq8norq sBA\ aI{S
,,,'SuuaAesJed
talqelnuopur
'luapuadapur 'esualur,, sp sal.re.rodural
-uor Jeq dq paqlnsap se^r Jeln(-lsluoS€l
-ord ueruorrr e 1o a,rncads:ad lerrSoloqcdsd
aql uoJJ olet a^nBJJpu E Ilar o1 drolstq ut
rulg lsry srll sBA\ ez6l ut racnas awvcvw
DNI'IIWS IIHI urlg rerl-^\oul PFo^\ PIro^\
lql sre>leruruly rsrunual rsrg aqr Suoury
.'lr dq parrour eJE o1t\ lad Pue
'slurql pue seruarredxe Inos aql qllqa reqr
sr ,(rols ,(po eql 'Sutlrear lnos e'Sutrnod
-lno s.lnos p Jo suolssardxa "'3uqae; e
;o uorlerrdsut aqr q8no.rgt sI lI ualo tsow
'{.rols e ,(g parrdsur sdeltle lou st Surltr.n
s.uBrf,rsnru V 'uaaJJs oqr uo lro{ord pue
azrue8ro auole s8urlaay s(lslue aql qJIqA/r
sa8erur rnuqrdqr yo pasodtuoo'duoqdruls
Iensr^ e sr 8ut>1eru Jo ruparP IIe a^t rup
ernd aq1 'sloqurds aluof,eq plnom snalqo
(eJar1lv\
'paureyd
f,Isn{u I€nsIA 1o purl e ,(q
-xe aqs sB
'lra8eurr dq perelda.r aq rnq 11e ppom lold
qllq^\ ur Bruaulf, e-aptrrold PInoJ BlueuIJ
ler{l u3 }o rssq aql s€tl\ PaluElt\ 3qs reqr(\.
'paauSorar
dpreq sB^\ ef,uelJodul IE^It{f,JB ,stulg
ueql\ alull E le sE.a/\ SII{I 'UP 1o uolsserdxa
snorJes Pue alqEIA e s3 EIUaUIJ E-.(EIUa
-un arnd 8,, pelluJ eqs t€ql{ Jot 8ul^uls
JeIEtrruIIg
sem 'eluelg ut epelaP eqt
rgrlord tsour pue lueuodurl lsou
'o eql'cepq
aur€ruJe) 'leuoru lenba plnoc arnoLu Pto1tl'
(sldlaf,ar
aqr reqr Surnleat dpappns Pue
aJglo-xog srr dn 3ur,(11er dsnq sB,r. d;lsnPut
rulg uef,rrauv aqr uaq^\ '0€6I PUe 076I
uea^uag r(('aPJEc-luEAV eqr Jo ueaH eql,,
Jar.{ u^\orf, d1o1erur11n plnot\ PIro^\ tulg
aql
kfAbZBBD rqn1 aulnuua7
o
o
o
SJi{gTIS IHJ
290 . SELECT F ORE/GN REEL IVOMEN
sources that seemed to be antithetical to
surrealism. Her camera work was most
unembarrassedly from a female perspective,
applying a seriousness of intent to her
women characters that would have been
way out of line with "the woman as muse."5
Her 1923 film, rHe sMILING MADAME BEUont, could really be retitled, "The Original
Diary of a Mad Housewife." It is one of
the few films of the decade in which women
are not fragmented, not shown as sexual
freaks, not stripped in close-ups or through
editing to reveal a bleeding mouth, bared
breasts or buttocks. It is one of the few films
of the decade in which a woman is the main
character.6
Point-of-view shots, slow motion, trick
photography, and wide-angle lens distortions were all incorporated stunningly by
Dulac to convey the story of a housewife
caught in a cage of domestic boredom that
leads her close to madness.
Marjorie Baumgarten of the Museum of
Modern Art called the film "one of the most
underrated masterpieces of the silent cinema." Madame Beudet is a sort of Madame
Bovary who seeks escape from her insipid,
provincial life and the tyranny of her husband. Her suppressed life breaks into blossom through the use of visual fantasies, as
Dulac brilliantly interposes superimpositions of Madame Beudet's imagined lovers.
In the last scene of the film, Mr. and Mrs.
Beudet are walking down the street. Mr.
Beudet tips his hat to a passerby. By the
filmmaker's insightful angle of her camera,
we wordlessly recognize with a chill that
Madame Beudet is nothing more than an
invisible appendage to her husband. She is
his showpiece, no more and no less.
The fact that ueoauE BEUDET is a feminist piece may be all the more reason for
its blending into obscurity. As Marjorie
Baumgarten points out, "'$Thereas the camerawork in Chaplin's story about the fate
of a demimondaine and Murnau's tale of
the eternal lover's triangle has been stu-
diously cited for its evocative subtleties, the
camerawork in Dulac's story of a frustrated
housewife's contempt for her husband has
been referred to by some historians as 'excessive."'7
Dulac began her career as a journalist for
feminist French publications, first interviewing and writing portraits on famous
women, and then as a drama critic. She left
journalism in 1915 to form her own film
production company with her husband of
ten years, Albert Dulac, and her first scen.!(/ar
arist, Irene Hillel-Erlanger. !7orld
I
provided a great opportunity for women to
enter the film business.
Historians have found her difficult to categorize because Dulac was proficient in
several genres: psychological realism, symbolism, elements of surrealism, straight documentary, even the episodic serial film.
AMES DE Fous (1917) was one such ep-
isodic film. It incorporated Dulac's own
trademark of an "impressionistism." The
film was popular with the audience, but not
with critics who complained that such
"suggestive techniques" as shadows, backlighting, and silhouettes manipulated the
viewer without the viewer's awareness. Like
a true pioneering spirit, Dulac held steady
and fast to her own voice that found no
validation from the outside world:
AMES DE nous made me understand that
beyond precise facts and events, atmosphere is an element of emotion, that the
emotional value of a film lies less in the
action than in the subtitles it exudes, and
that if the expression of an actor is obviously of value in itself, it can only attain
its fullest intensity by a complimentary play
of images coming in reaction to it. Lighting,
camera placement, and editing all appeared
to me as more essential elements than the
production of a scene played according to
membered as thr
version of impre
arts: painting, dri
the cinema. The g
luc, Abel Gance,
Their fruitful
about several filn
which were wide
lutionary." re ri
instance, attempt(
of the American'
documentary sry--l
Louis Delluc's u:
brought an end tc
on her own.
At the time she
was her seventh
work with him is
the breakthrougl
DAME BEUDET.
Although the f
as an artist, prod
commercial cons:
to back her. And
at a time when s
around the studic
Her fingers mad
adorned with trir
gold. A cane. S
right hand rwisti
chored in the po
viction to what s
ignores people'
smokes. Vehem
Lashes herself fi
gives orders. Sh
and smokes, smc
She tried her b
rector with a feat
BLE DANS LA VILL
the Middle Ages.
with studio-built:
with filmmaker and writer Louis Delluc,
shots. Not liking
tions that the st
turned to indeper
ln 7927, after
called "Impressionists." They are often re-
satisfied, as Charl,
dramatic laws,8
Soon, Dulac was to form an organization
t
awvcvw 9NIlIt{s gHI :dlarrlua rraql ur
lsrxa dlluaJrnl ilns o^\r d1uo 'aunla1il raq ut
celnq dq ap?ur srulg lurqr dlreau aqr JO
({ool
rr'laa] ol
ol ureal
uJpel sn la1'ees ol ur"el sn lel
sn ta1 'dern u^\o rno o{BLu ot 'dtlltqtsuas
ur\o Jno euyep or 'uorsra leuosrad umo lno
ssardxa ol
ol '3uos urno Jno ol aJuells
ftl
ur ualsrl ol 'oaarlaq I (euroJ s?q orulr eq1
'sprepu€ls rrl{l ol urroJuor ol dJl pu€ ['pJI
-Jaruv ur ra,ro] 'sreqlo ;o sluauqsrlduroc
-lp eqr or {ool am'eruepguoo tsol Sul,req
'PFt
aqs ..'so^IesJno aprsur Surlaas Io pEalsq,,
'drorsq uqg
Surraouord otur dlurrg f,elnq aurcruJeg Io
erupu aqt paAJBl puB (prueurJ opJeS-lu€^p
ur JrssslJ IJPuJPusl E euEJaq NVW,I.CUA'If,
:IHI CNV'ITAHSVAS iIHr 'Ssa1aqlauO51 ,,'so3E
-Iul
ef,ueJerlof,ur,, eql Sursoddo dlluaul
-er{ol
'o ur paulo( s.rolsalord Jaqlo (.i1!\oJ
B Sr sElnq JurEruJJC,, tSurUreaDS urlg aql
patdnrralur pneuv 'Suruaarls aql rv 'JolceJ
-lP Pue JaIIJ^\ uoa^\l3q PeJrIls JPoJdn IEaJB
V 'lsrerrl ool uonplaJdralur .raq tqSnoql
pneuv'tdtns s.pnuuv luory tuarayllp d11ert
-p?r lou seA\ ruly s.leFc q3noqrly ,,'uoll
-pJlsuouep Jo uouef,UrJelo le lduralte /,ue
(ptus
aq
tnoqlra purru Io salels Surqucsap,,
sB 'sa8erur Jo sueaJls arnd 1o rulg E eq or
lr luearu all 'Suruearu uerunq ;o 'ctsdqdel
-aru'cudleueoqcdsdSurdlrepun ou e^?q rup
el{f lBql sE/rt lualul asorll\ PneUV uluoluv
dq delduaarf,s e uo pespq sB^{ rup eql
or..'NVI I,IDUATS AHr (INV 'I'IAHSVAS
:IHr ur lsrxa ra8uoy ou racnas awvovw cNI
-'rrnrs aHr ur lslxa rpqr slor{s maur-1o-rutod
alnra[qns puu &r1ear arrura(go uaa^ueq
UOI}JUIISIP ffEI] AqI .UOSPEJ SII,II JOJ 'SAISPI
-up1 eleru asodxa ol JapJo ur,, tuorlg uen
sanurluoJ ,,'a1dls Jrar{t ur rulg e saleru aqs,,
'sen8eallor oleur req
ursrloqtuds uelpnarJ
aqt uroldxa ags 'ua,q6
'o uen sdrs 'ut1g sqr
ul'(LZ6l Nvwloual) aHr cNV lr:rHsvss
aHr (/Jolsrq q ,,tuly f,DSrlEaJJnS dprr lsrg
aql,, 'pa1pr seq uel(\ UEA uleqlld\ rsq^{
eperu f,BInC ,,'slro11a f,nsrlJ€ qrrin padde
Ierf,JoruruoJ,,'sdes prog salJEL{J se'pogstles
dgeug teql rulg e Sunluru nqe'1751u1
'ST,6I ul uonrnpord tuapuadaput ol Paurnl
-aJ JEInq 'pasodurt opnrs eqr reql suoll
-rpuof, pue saJnlf,nJrs aqr 3un1t1 roN'sloqs
JorJatxe aqr Sulpnput'sles tlmq-olPnls qtvrr
dlarnua loqs sB^\ tup aql 'se8y alpptTrl aqr
to rusrf,neuet aqr rnoqe 'f,'I'IIA v'I sNvc a'Is
-vICI ar q\^'VZ6T uI arnlea1 E qll^\ JolJoJ
-rp orpnls e Suraq rP Pueq raq Palrr aqs
6'solorus 'solours pue
'" eueqrn dpca;rad sI eqs 'sroPJo so,rt8
'uo parrnds pue 'prrtu:o; Jlesroq soI{sB'I
'lnoqe seqsnr oqs dlluaueqo1 'selous
'sa1our5 'sleeur 'srnoq 'aldoad sarou8t
3qs orPnls aqr rv 'seoP aqs rEg^{ ol uo[f,I^
-uoc aar8 'lrns raq ;o ra>pod aql uI perogl
-uB qal rag 'aua.reErc B Sutlstmt pueq rq8u
JaH 'se{orus 'sa>1ours aqs 'eu?t V 'PIoB
qlr^\ pelJrrJ elIuB uB 'sga>1utr1 qrvrt PeuJoPe
stsrrl\ JOr{ 'sEuu 1o dn aperu sre8ug rog
-aJ ueryo arr daql
,on11eg
rtnoJ .jiu
uollezrue$ro uB Lrr(
ol Burp:otre padel
aqr ueqr sluauele
pereadde
1e Euurpa
,3ulrr{BI.J .tr
ol uonf
leld lreluerurJdtuo:
uleue lluo uec tr ,
-qo sr Jolf,P u? Jo
pue ,sapnxe lr sall
aql ur sseJ sert u{g
aqr rpgr ,uollorua;
-sotule .sluela pue
leql PuBlsJePun aur
:Plro^\ aPrstr
ou Puno} lPql eJro.t
Appals plaq :e1nq 1
eIr.J.ssauarcl1lB s.Ja.$
eqr pareJndluerrr sa
-1ceg (slroppqs sE (.s
-da qrns euo se,r. (11
raq paqsrlqersa dpurg rulg aqr qSnoqtly
u.&lo s.f,EInQ
:sorPnls eql PunoJB
drue;ur Jo pupl E sE1\4. eqs uaq^\ etull P lB
lBlnc ssqrrlseP u3^ec arPuv 'raq Ileq or
luBpnlal aJ0.[4. suoIlBJaPIsuoJ IEIf,JaUIUOf,
pJBA{ol ar(a uB qlIA\ sJelnPord tlstue ue se
'IA(nAs AWVC
-vw oNI'IIWS EHr qrrm q8norqr{Eerq aqr
ro1 dpear raq apEu leqrl\ sI urlq qrl^{ IJo^{
egr lng 'lsJg slq or tulg glua^3s raq sE/$
snll puE uarras-durql sB^\ eqs stull 3ql lv
q)ns tpql paureldur
lou rnq .aruarpne arp
aql (<.rusllstuorssardr
.ruJg
P3tero
JerJes rlposrd
-cop lg8lerrs .ursrlEara
-tuds .ursrlear
1er€o1
ur tuanyord se.r JEI
-Br or rFrgJrP req
'u1!\o Jeq uo
ureSe serrr IEInC 'reqr [p or pua ue rq8norq
VZ6I uI qlerp parlodxaun s{lnllaq smo'I
'Iepor rot uela ploq-aydrs drelueurntop
-rsenb e q8norqr uralserg ueJIJatuV atll ]o
(ecuelsut
rusrJrloxs aqt arntder ot paldruaue
ro1' GI6il :I'IoNOv.rsa argu vr,,'dreuotlnl
-oAaJ,, se uodn pear8e r(lapvn oJaA\ qllqr\
1o dueru 'sluaruuadxa f,IIulU IBJeAes lnogu
rq8norq uollproqellor InJrIn{ rlaql
'ularsdg ueaf pue 'alueg laqy 'rn1
-1aq'ce1nq pepnllur dnor8 aq1 'Btuaulf, eql
tsrtleruerp t8utluted :slre
t,t.ou pue
'drlaod
eqt Jsn' ol sEAr urstuotsserdurl Io uolsJe^
rraql 'apre8-tuule rsJg eqr sE peJaqtuatu
Pm
's
01 uaruo,lr ro; dtrunr:
I relil. plrol( .ratuep
-uef,s lsJg raq pue ,re
Jo PuPqsnq ror{ qlr^r
urJg u^\o Jer,l ruJoJ 01
qal eqs .rrlrrr PruErP e
snotup1 uo sllerl.rod
-Jelur lsJg .suoltecrlqr
JoJ lsrJpuJno( e se raare
-x3, sE suErJolsrq auos
seq puegsnq raq roy r
pelerlsn{ e to drols s.rr
eql'sanollqns alrletola
f,67 . JVTnC ANTVWVgt
292 . SELECT FORElGN REEL WOMEN
BEUDET and THE SEASHELL AND THE
cLERGyMAN. "Due to the nature of their
independent production and relative lack of
distribution," says Marjorie Baumgarten,
"as well as the difficulty in succinctly pigeonholing Dulac's varied career into a neat
critical category, her work has slipped into
the historical abyss."tz
Germaine Dulac died of a long illness in
1.942.Her biographer, Charles Ford, relates
the difficulty that the French press had in
printing her obituary:
Bothered by Dulac's non-conformist ideas,
disturbed by her impure origins, the censors
had refused the article which, only after a
vigorous protest by the editor-in-chief of
the magazine, appeared three weeks late.13
Even dead, as Ford notes, Germaine
Dulac still seemed dangerous.
1.917 Ames de Fous
1.91.8 Le Bonheur des Autres
191,9 La Cigarette
La Fdte Espagnole
1.920 La Belle Dame sans Merci
Malencontre
1,921, La Mort du Soleil
L922 lferther
1,923 Gossette
La Souriante Madame Beudet
(Smiling Madame Beudet, The)
1924 Le Diable dans la Ville
1925 Ame d'Artiste
La Folie des Vaillants
1,926 AntoinetteSabrier
1,927 La Coquille et Le Clergyman
(The Seashell and the Clergyman)
L'Invitation au Voyage
1.928 Disque 927
the first time, srand obvious prol
lemoflife...d
all human being
caping the final
,
She was born J
of "freethinkers.'
cian and a philos
educated woman
became an arder
she founded a jr
cated to sociolog'
home with abund
ence, Musidora's
a bohemian life-s
At the age of thrt
At five, I wanted
Mon Paris
La Princesse Mandane
counter of the g
to manage a ciro
I wanted to be a r
try in a homey, ir
Thdmes et Variations
house.a
Germination d'un Haricot
GERMAINE DULAC
'1.929 Etude Cin6graphique sur Une
191,5 Les Soeurs Ennemies
791,6 Dans l'Ouragan de la Vie
Geo Le Mysterieux
Venus Victrix
'1,930 Les 24 Heures du Mans
Arabesque
1.932 Jaquelux
Le Picador
1,937 Le Cin6ma au Service de I'Histoire
She could havr
or anything else
was an exceptio
child, who was
exams that she q
title of General!-'
She was accept
Musidord (1884-1957)
Riding the crest of the wave of surrealism
in France, Musidora burst full-blown on the
scene like the goddess Athena from the head
of Zeus. The Parisian version of the vampire, she was an immediate sensation. The
French adored her. Quite the opposite of
an Arab Shiva, who would suck the blood
from men and leave them dry, Musidora
was androgynous, sexless. When she stole
the heart of Paris in rps vAMITRES (The
vampires) in 1915, she wore a "simple
form-fitting [mouthless] cloth. This vampire's teeth transcend[ed] the absence of
the orifice. [Her] pull-away mask rendered
Irma Vep's villainy almost genderless."l
into art school a
Fine Arts and th
The magic of Musidora's presence was
largely due to her costume. The garment
that made her nationally infamous was a
single, full-bodied, black leotard. Thus
garbed, this sprite-who would later direct
some of the earliest surrealist films in history in collaboration with Colette-Musidora captured the heart of an era.
Specifically, she captivated the souls of surrealists Andrd Breton and Louis Aragon
who wrote:
painting and dra'
for this outgoing
:
to the stage as a I
She first appean
atre in vaudeville
which led to an en
Parnasse acting tr
with her stage nar
time. She adopted
1
Fortunio (1870) b
tury decadent, T
Musidora undenr
in Paris (ghosnrr
A generation fell completely in love with
Musidora in rrs vauprnps. Those same
passionate initiates found themselves, for
husband Willy),
was foreshadog'er
ln 7974 Musid,