Abel Gance, 1919, restored and reissued 2008, 166 min.
Introduced by Professor Antoine Compagnon
This French silent film released in 1919 by director Abel Gance juxtaposes a romantic drama against the backdrop of the horrors of World War I, including some scenes filmed on real battlefields, and a climactic final sequence of the "return of the dead." Gance referred to it as "a human cry against the bellicose din of armies." It is considered to be among the most technically advanced films of the era and the first major pacifist film, and confirmed Gance's international reputation as one of most important directors in Europe.
This is the fourth film in a series of films on World War I presented this fall by The Maison Française and School of the Arts. Screening is free and open to the public.
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