Return to Reason: Four Films by Man Ray

An immersion into the surreal and dreamlike world of painter, photographer and filmmaker Man Ray (1890-1976), one of the most prolific American visual artists, through four of his short films, brought to life by the atmospheric music of SQÜRL.

Terrorist's Remorse

French film produced and distributed by Gaumont (catalogue number 1590) originally named "La Terroriste" (as registered in the BnF (Bibliothèque nationale de France) in 1907 and as published in Gaumont's catalogue of January 1908), the film was known in the U.S. by the title "Terrorist's Remorse" (according to the "Revised List of High-Class Original Films Made by Gaumont, Urban-Eclipse, Théophile Pathé, Carlo Rossi, Ambrosio and Other Foreign and American Companies", 1908, available in the Internet Archive website) and eventually changed to "Les Terroristes en Russie" in France (per Gaumont's catalogue of July 1909). Max Charlier and Mlle Loisier star in the film, but its director is still unknown, although Francis Lacassin attributed it to Louis Feuillade in 1995.

Nothing But Time

The life of a great city (Paris) from dawn until dusk, including the beautiful and the ragged, the rich and the poor.

Parisian Love

Armand and Marie survive in the streets until charitable (and wealthy) scientist Pierre Marcel takes Armand in after a botched robbery. Marie, a fiery Apache, swears revenge on Marcel for taking her lover away from her.

The Life Boat

Old Captain Bill and his wife have an only son, whom they idolize. He loses all his money at gambling and drinking, and determines to do better in the city. After a short absence he writes his people that he has secured a good position, is saving money, and will be home before long. A year or two later he arrives in town and on his way to his home passes the old saloon he used to patronize. He cannot resist the temptation, and goes in. He falls in with a lot of bad fellows and is robbed. Ashamed to go home, he ships on board a sailing vessel.

Untitled

A man covers his head with several headscarfs, one by one... .

The Memory of the Heart

In the middle school, the pawn Paul Watrin spends his sad life, in the middle of a people of cheeky and mocking kids for whom he is the enemy, the whipping boy. Only Pierre Launay, a studious child with a pitiful heart, defends the old pawn and his son against the incessant attacks of this cloud of pranksters and his affection consoles the poor man for his daily miseries. However, a drama unfolds in the child's family.

The Bishop of the Ozarks

A mad doctor uses his powers of telepathy to control a beautiful young girl. The survival status of the film is presumed lost.

The Black Box

Science fiction serial, presumed lost.

The Bottle Imp

Lopaka, a poor Hawaiian fisherman, falls in love with Kokua, a young girl of royal blood. Her father refuses to let him marry her, though, unless Lopaka can bring him two feather cloaks from a rare bird. While searching the mountains for the bird, Lopaka encounters a dying priest of Pele who sells him a wishing bottle in which Kono, the god of the volcanos, is confined.

The Cave Man

After her father dies, Chloe, played by Edith Storey, is left alone in the world. She is discovered and taken home to their cave by brothers Dagban and Eric, who vie for her affection in an allegory about “brain vs. brawn.” When “Dagban threatens to do her bodily harm unless she accedes to his intentions” Eric beats up his brother to protect Chloe, and then subsequently leaves the cave he calls home to avoid further conflict. By this point, he has won Chloe’s affection with his kindness and love, and she decides to follow him and “together they continue their journey, seeking happiness in the land beyond the horizon, which joins earth with heaven.”

A Man There Was

Terje Vigen, a sailor, suffers the loss of his family through the inflexibility of another man. Years later, when his enemy's family finds itself dependent on his benevolence, Terje must decide whether to avenge himself.

The Devil and the Statue

At the beginning of the scene Romeo in his gondola sings to Juliet a sentimental song, then goes away. Hardly has he departed when the colonnade falls to pieces, disclosing the devil. Juliet, frightened, runs to the window and calls Romeo. The latter attempts to enter and protect his fiancée, but at a gesture from the devil the window is instantly covered with a grating and Romeo makes frantic efforts to break it. The devil begins to dance a wild dance before Juliet, who is beside herself from terror. The devil gradually becomes the size of a giant (a novel effect). Juliet implores the statue of Madonna, which becomes animated, descends from its pedestal, and stretching out its arms orders the devil to disappear. (Méliès Catalog)

Alraune and the Golem

The Picture of Dorian Gray

A variation of the famous Oscar Wilde tale in which Dorian Gray's soul is manifested in a painting instead of his own body.

Drives

Carlos, a man who has a doubt, and a month before his wedding, decides to hire a gigolo to satisfy his homosexual curiosity.