The Fantom Menace by Pia Santaklaus

Sydney. 12 January 2008.

The programme began with a remarkable BATMAN serial from 1943. This particular episode featured both Batman and Robin. At one point Bruce Wayne (Batman) knocks out a fortune teller and takes his place to warn a femme fatale she is in imminent danger. The whole scenario is riotous! I loved it as a period piece and a pop-culture curio!

Then we were treated to the screening of FANTOMAS - (1913). This was the 2nd episode (Juve Contre Fantômas) in the exploits of the popular French fictional arch-villain ‘FANTOMAS’ - created by Frenchmen Marcel Allain (1885-1970) and Pierre Souvestre (1874 -1914) both of whom were involved in law, journalism and then writing, collaborating on 32 books involving Fantomas from early 1911 till 1914.

Fantomas is a sociopathic criminal who doesn’t balk at killing. Fantomas is ruthless, merciless and unfaithful; a master of disguise, he can assume the look and persona of those he kills. In the first Fantomas novel (1911), set in Paris around 1900, Fantomas (as ‘Gurn’) kills with a hammer. Many of the stories feature a French Police Detective called ‘Juve’ whose aim is to catch Fantomas. Other main characters include ‘Fandor’ a French journalist friend of Juve, and ‘Lady Beltham’ who is Fantomas’ aristocratic English mistress.

The Fantomas books reveal Fantomas’ exploits, some of which were turned into silent film serials from 1913. Five silent serials were made in total. Importantly, Fantomas marks a transition between gothic era villains and modern pulp heroes.

His popularity ensured many remakes… in 1920 a 20 episode serial was made in America called ‘Fantomas’ starring Edward Roseman. Along the way, Fantomas films were also made in 1932, 1946, 1948, 1964, 1965 and 1966. The 1960’s Fantomas were made in a more James Bond style. In 1980 a TV series was made. In addition, various Fantomas comic books have been published; 1941, 1957, 1962, 1969 and in the 1990s.

The original French Fantomas novels inspired numerous French Avante Garde and surrealist artists including Guillaume Apollinaire and Rene Margritte. Fantomas also inspired other creations including Tenebras (by Arnould Galopin), Masque Rouge (by Gaston Rene), Belphegor (by Arthur Bernede), Demonax (by R. Collard) and Tigris, Fatala, Miss Teria, Ferocias (all by Marcel Allain). There is suggestion that even the original 1963 Pink Panther film borrowed elements from Fantomas (ie: Sir Charles Lytton was called ‘the Phantom’ and Inspector Clouseau was modeled after Inspector Juve).

Possible inspirations for Fantomas may have included ‘Arthur J. Raffles’ the gentleman burglar of London, created in the 1890s by E.W Hornung. Like Sherlock Holmes, Arthur J Raffles is a master of disguise and has a loyal sidekick (Harry ‘Bunny’ Manders); Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes’ sidekick was ‘Watson’. Under another guise A.J Raffles also keeps a great London apartment where he stores his many disguises. Another possible inspiration for Fantomas, similar to A.J. Raffles and ca ontemporary of Sherlock Holmes was the popular French character ‘Arsene Lupin’ - another gentleman thief of detective fiction; French writer Maurice Leblanc created Arsene Lupin and from July 1905 Arsene Lupin stories were serialized. It is thought that Arsene Lupin may have been inspired by the real-life clever, generous and sharp-witted anarchist Marius Jacob (on trial March 1905) or an even earlier fictional gentlemen thief, Arthur Lebeau (1901 by Octave Mirbeau). Yet another possible inspiration for Fantomas was Zigomar (created by Leon Sazie), serialized in magazines in 1909 and 1913. French writer Gaston Leroux wrote ‘The Phantom Of The Opera’ first published in serial format from September 1909 to January 1910. The novel got an English translation in 1911. Like Fantomas after him, the fearful, gothic ‘Phantom’ wears a mask and inhabits a mysterious personal landscape.

While watching the movie and trying to piece together the many elements, I noticed various scenes in FANTOMAS featured a strong, mysterious lady. Perhaps she is the 'Princess' or ‘Lady Beltham’ (Fantomas’ mistress); either way, she certainly doesn’t look or dress like the aristocracy of the day, certainly not English aristocracy, but rather like someone more ancient, perhaps from a Biblical time and place… curious!

Though unclear, it is thought that Fantomas might be of British and/or French background. In the books, Fantomas gets around, even reaching India around 1895. By 1897 Fantomas was in USA and then Mexico. In 1899 he was in South Africa and soon, back in Europe… This habit of ‘wandering’ might suggest Fantomas is of the then-often ‘homeless’ ‘Wandering Jew’ or gypsy stock. Perhaps he is a German or Russian Jew immigrant or perhaps some kind of mistreated minority. When seen in context with another Feuillade film, JUDEX (1914) one might extract further possibility of a Jewish connection…

JUDEX is a French silent serial made in 1914. The release was delayed till December 1916. ‘Judex’ was filmed soon after ‘Fantomas’ by Frenchmen Louis Feuillade and Arthur Bernede. Like many other popular flamboyant villains of the time, Judex was a mysterious dark being, a master of disguise with a secret identity, who often wore a large hat, cloak and a mask (very similar to ‘The Shadow’). A master fighter, Judex also had his own secret subterranean headquarters beneath a castle (similar to The Phantom of The Opera who had subterranean quarters beneath an Opera House) anticipating Batman’s ‘batcave’ as here is where Judex kept all his technological gadgetry. Interestingly ‘Judex’ means ‘Judge’ and his complex quest in life is to exact revenge on his arch-enemy, a corrupt banker who swindled people. The positions of Judge and Banker are often associated with the Jewish people. In the book of Judges (Old Testament), we find a history of Biblical judges who helped and guided the Israelites whilst in the modern world there is remains a ‘Jewish Bankers’ conspiracy that anti-Semitic subscribers buy into.

It is difficult to explain the popularity of Fantomas when he clearly acts in an unsocial, unethical manner. To try and explain, perhaps an example of the French socio-political upheaval of the times may be helpful, as seen in one of modern Europe’s most notorious and controversial political events; the ‘Dreyfus Affair’. Alfred Dreyfus (1859-1935) was a French officer of Jewish extraction. Born in Alsace, his family moved to Paris around 1871 after the Franco-Prussian war. Many believe Dreyfus became a victim of anti-Semitic sentiment when he was tried on charges of treason and convicted in 1894. France had a Catholic identity and a strong campaign ensued which led to the release of Dreyfus from prison in 1899. By 1906 he was exonerated and readmitted into the army as a Major and then made a Knight of the Legion of Honour; some may see this as sweet revenge.

Minorities, migrants, the persecuted, the homeless, the poor; many folk were hurting. Masses wanted and needed rescuing. Tyrants needed beating. The concept of the ‘superhero’ was long overdue and about to make a splash. In this world, Fantomas took the law into his own hands and made his own rules, dishing out death to whoever he felt deserved it. This vigilante behaviour may herald back to Robin Hood who was in his own way a vigilante-antihero with tights (I might call him a ‘thieving ruffian’ or ‘robbing hood-lum’!). From this path, Fantomas could have inspired what eventually became the superhero phenomenon. Superman, Batman, The Shadow, The Spirit, The Phantom… many, many heroes wearing cloaks, gloves, capes, hoods, cowls, hats, tights etc all hiding their identity.

Coincidentally or deliberately, the name of Lee Falk’s popular comic strip hero ‘The Phantom’ (created 1939) has a similar ring to ‘Fantomas’. They both wear masks, tights and have a dog although Lee Falk has stated that The Phantom (Ghost who walks) was inspired by various sources including myths, legends, folklore and characters like King Arthur, El Cid, Tarzan and in particular Robin Hood.The difficult migrant experience may have contributed to modern psychiatric concepts and newer understandings of darker ‘fantomas’ elements in humans; consider the result of migrants disposing of their past lives, passports and Ids in order to gain entry into various countries, having to adopt new names, voices and personalities in a bid to assimilate. These displaced souls would have to keep their true identities very secret as we see in characters such as Superman or Fantomas – a secret identity or disguise becomes necessary whilst One’s real personality (ID) is hidden deeply away, not exposed in public. One would need a very private shelter or place where one could relax and be oneself and so, perhaps wishes are ignited for a personal base, a home, one’s own private place – fortress of solitude – a secret headquarters (even read ‘mind-space’) where none can disturb and one can be free to express true inner self. Perhaps as a kind of reaction to requirements brought on by rootlessness, bases were soon to become standard inclusions in even the hero genre armory. Places like the ‘Fortress of Solitude’ (Superman) and the ‘Batcave’ (Batman) are good examples.

I may be going too far out on a limb and I don’t imagine anyone else has yet expressed this, but perhaps even Freud’s concept of the inner ‘Id’ came from such analyzing conflicted personal I.d (Identification). I suspect Freud’s concept of the 3-part ‘psychic apparatus’ of the psyche (Id, Ego, Super-ego)* was developed through a new understanding of the workings of the migrant psyche, mind-set and 'balancing' function…echoed perfectly in the later 3-part psychic concept of Kal-El (Id), Clark Kent (Ego) and Superman (Super-ego).

Moving on… I appreciated the introduction to tonight’s program by Barrie Pattison who made some very insightful and incisive calls. As he often does, he also provided a pertinent detailed A4 sized, double-sided flier, this one titled ‘The Weird World of Movie Serials’ with useful historical information.

The picture quality of the tonight’s film, though compiled from various copies (the originals lost), was breathtakingly good in parts, considering it is now approaching 100 years old.
The soundtrack was a special treat. A live, new, ambitious original score created in only 2 weeks by talented Adrian Clement and his most worthy recruit Alex Robinson (percussion-drums). This was Adrian’s second venture into the world of movie soundtrack performance and was also Adrian’s 2nd live original film score, coming only a fortnight after his wonderful first foray and in many ways this one was even better.

Tonight Adrian surprised us by utilizing a more synthetic electronic keyboard organ sound for much of the movie. At times, the soundscape presented like some far-out, 70s prog rock/art rock groove with elements of Pink Floyd and Yes style synth elevating the experience to something credible, dignified and all-new. Adrian and Alex played with force and went beyond standard silent film music fare. It astounded me how much good noise these 2 guys made.

Various abstract sounds filtered in and out of the mix. The structure seemed to comprise of individual sections sometimes bridged by a suite of percussion held together by Alex Robinson. Some excellent improvising throughout, the whole music would make a wonderful album.

Appropriate electronic effects and varying time codes followed the film action perfectly for much of the movie. At times the listening experience outshone the visual experience. Both musicians gave solid performances, blending ambience with solid notation. The addition of sound bites such as traffic, car horns, train sounds and much more, added vital texture and clarity, not unlike the various additional effects Pink Floyd utilized on their various albums.

At one point, the music became a mash of 1930s American cabaret-acoustica –jazz-Latin guitar (Eddie Lang - Django Rheinhardt style), deliberate atmospheric drums and other mystery sounds; the effect was intoxicating.

Paced beautifully, the music built up layers of sound, peaking in the last 5 minutes where it seemed to take off in an absolute masterwork of pumping groove as the action reached a crescendo. A synthesized bass line rang out complementing the driving drums.

A touch of theatrics and flamboyance, both Adrian Clement and Alex Robinson donned dark, fantomas-styled costumes for their performance. Presented on stage, in front and below the screen, they looked and sounded appropriate.

Adrian and Alex should record this stuff. I picked it up as aural nectar. It had grace, dignity, invention, and above all, cool! Impressive, I would love to listen to that music on my own home stereo.

All up, a very fine Cinemateque experience; many thanks to curator Brett Garten for his work and insight putting it all together! Marvelous! (and DC-ous!)

*The ID (identity) is pure, instinctive, uncoordinated, creative, infantile and driven by a basic primal search for pleasure and gratification through life and death instincts… babies are Id-ridden; The Ego is practical, diplomatic, organized, defensive, intelligent and aware enough to function and respond to and with the reality it identifies. It tries to keep the Id happy in ways that minimize upset from potential conflicts in the real world. The ego also mediates between the Id and the super-ego, aiming to please both; The super-ego is critical, moralizing, prohibitive, idealistic and a perfectionist. It is the opposite of the Id and is concerned with the social good. It is one’s conscience. Freud first developed this structural concept between 1920 and 1923. The terms Id, Ego and Super-ego are Latinized translations of Freud’s terms.