Review of Judex by Pia Santaklaus

JUDEX by Pia Santaklaus.

6 Fabuary 2009.

Although I really enjoyed the zany, stylish, abstract and absurd short animation FANTORRO, today I’ll discuss this week’s main feature JUDEX (1963).

JUDEX (1963) is Director Franju’s feature film ‘remake-tribute’ which tries to evoke the aura of the original 1916 silent-era serial JUDEX… At the close of the movie we read that this film is “a souvenir of an unhappy time”.

It is quite a moody, serious piece with few light touches. Besides the main characters, JUDEX features a likeable detective (Mr Concantin) portrayed as a cross between Lewis Carroll, Sherlock Holmes and Charlie Chaplin. Mr Concantin reads escapist literature such as ‘Alice in Wonderland’ and ‘Fantomas’, he is kind to children and in turn a boy-child helps him as a sort of side-kick ‘Watson’ or ‘Robin’.This particular film is stylistically strange and ‘out of time’ – in parts it looks and feels like it is faithfully set during the early 20th century and yet at other times it presents quite comfortably as 1950’s or 1960’s. Some aspects (such as the clothing and dialogue) curiously flow in and out of context… perhaps in an attempt to reach a ‘timeless’ or more eclectic mood. It’s amazing to hear talk of selling “Rio Tinto shares” even back then.

This film was surely made with great love and respect for the original subject matter… The sometimes excruciatingly slow pace is perhaps forged deliberately that the viewer might have ample time to analyse, observe and admire details in an attempt to convey a dreamlike, creepy mood piece.

The sets are gorgeous. Art Nouveau details such as wallpaper, lamps, furniture, buildings and more, work as a kind of eye candy.

Judex is a mysterious master of disguise, a magician, a heroic vigilante figure who has, and uses cutting edge technology (such as surveillance) in his personal war against Favraux the ruthless banker. ‘Judex’ meaning ‘Judge’ is an appropriate name for a vigilante archetype. I think the later ‘Judge Dread’ carries a similar psyche.

In some ways JUDEX (and FANTOMAS) is a forerunner of themes and images found in such successful later ventures as ‘Batman’ and ‘V For Vendetta’. ‘V for Vendetta’ (comic book series and 2006 film) features a mysterious vigilante anarchist who wears a Guy Fawkes mask and tries to thwart the controlling system. Common themes between JUDEX and V for Vendetta are: masks, cloaks, secret lairs, rooftop action, investigators, surveillance systems, imprisonment and more…

The Catwoman in the campy 60’s Batman serial may have been inspired by the female criminal in a black ‘cat-suit’ that Judex must struggle against.

Filmed in black & white, the characters in JUDEX also seem very black & white… in a world of good verses evil with few shades of grey.

I suspect some religious elements creep into the film as well; one scene sees the ‘death’ of Favraux and his subsequent resurrection after 3 days (he was not dead but drugged by Judex)… perhaps this somehow reflects on Christ’s own death and resurrection...

There is little or no music for long stretches of the film which adds to the somewhat empty and slow-pace of various sections.

I really liked the use of bird imagery in JUDEX. Birds are appropriately symbols of freedom and communication… My favourite scene was the bird-themed masked ball. The surreal ambience was jaw-dropping and reminded me of some of Max Ernst’s early, strange collages some of which had formally-dressed, early 20th century figures with bird heads. Many of the original films and serials of Feuillade (including JUDEX) deeply inspired the Surrealists (including Dali, Cocteau and Ernst).
Franju’s JUDEX had enough for me to want to chase down at least one of his later films ‘SHADOWMAN’ (NUITS ROUGES) which I understand deals with the quest for the grail.

Thanks for a good movie experience Brett.

What are the chances of seeing Fanju’s SHADOWMAN at Cinemateque?