Le Chaudron infernal (1903)
Directed by Georges Méliès

Film Review

Although it was made at the very dawn of cinema history, this short film still has the capacity to surprise and impress a modern cinema audience.  In one of his most imaginative films, Georges Méliès shows total mastery of the special effects available to him, which still look impressive when set aside today's state of the art computer generated graphics.  The film is in colour, a feat which was achieved by colouring each individual frame by hand.  The result is a stunning work of art, and great fun to watch.

Film Synopsis

In a creepy Gothic castle, a visibly terrified young woman is brought before a fierce-looking green-skinned demon.  Ignoring the woman's frantic protestations, the malevolent demon hastily wraps her in a white sheet and bundles her into a burning cauldron.  No sooner has the woman been consumed by flames than the demon's next victims are brought to him - two well-dressed courtiers.  As one courtier sits awaiting her fate, the other is picked up and dropped into the infernal cauldron by the merciless green imp.  The other courtier suffers the same fate, devoured by the flames whilst the demon performs a frenzied dance and utters a mystical incantation.

At the climax of this macabre ceremony, the cauldron flares up and three ghostly apparitions disgorge themselves from the flames, floating ethereally above the demon's head.  The Hellish fiend continues his wild dance, laughing manically as the satanic ritual reaches its gruesome end.  With obvious relish the demon watches as the three dancing spirits dissolve into balls of flame which then fall to earth and then promptly extinguish themselves.  After a final triumphant dance around the ashy remnants of his unfortunate victims, the crazy demon dives headfirst into the cauldron...