Film Review: Paris qui dort (The Crazy Ray/At 3:25, 1924)

France is a birthplace of cinema and, unsurprisingly, many film genres originated there. That includes science fiction thanks to George Melies and his 1902 short film A Trip to the Moon. However, in subsequent decades French film makers weren’t showing much enthusiasm for that particular genre. One of rare exceptions was René Clair whose directorial debut – 1924 short silent comedy Paris qui dort (literally “Paris Asleep”, also known under titles The Crazy Ray and At 3:25) - happened to be science fiction comedy.

The plot begins with when watchman (played by Henri Rolland) wakes at Eiffel Tower and realises that he can’t hear any noise from the city below. When he comes down, he sees all streets strangely empty and, more interestingly, few individuals look like they were frozen in time. On the same morning, a plane lands at Paris airport and its pilot (played by Albert Prejean) and his four passengers – an industrialist (played by Antoine Stacquet), a flapper girl (played by Madeleine Rodrigue), international criminal (played by Marcel Valée) and police detective (played by Louis Pré Fils) – soon encounter the same phenomenon. When they meet the watchman they realise that they are only unfrozen people in Paris and it probably had something to do with them being at high altitude when the strange phenomenon occurred. At first, they succumb to temptation and steal money, valuables and feast in most expensive restaurants. But after time, a boredom sets in and realisation that the flapper girl is the only woman in Paris creates potentially dangerous romantic rivalry. Just before it is to escalate, they receive radio message coming from young woman (played by Myla Seller) whose uncle Professor X (played by Charles Martinelli) is mad scientist who has built the device responsible for freezing people and who is the only who might undo its effect.

Clair, who also wrote the screenplay, never bothered to give proper explanation about the nature of phenomena that affects Paris – whether it is freezing time or living organisms. But the idea, although not exactly original, was put to good use, making Paris qui dort into one of the first post-apocalyptic films and the first which depicted post-apocalyptic scenario in humorous way. Clair mixes humorous social observation with little bit of slapstick while using ingenious tricks to give illusion of huge metropolis suddenly frozen in time. It could be argued that for this very practical reason many scenes take place at Eiffel Tower, where Clair also uses opportunity for some impressive panorama shots and scenes of poetic beauty, like the one in which flapper girl throws away pearls she has stolen.

Despite shoestring budget, Clair originally made Paris qui dort as a feature. However, after the release he cut in half and that version is apparently the only one available today. Some art purists might complain, but Clair’s decision was probably the right one, because even in its short form the film shows problems with pace, especially nearly the semi-ironic and at times confusing ending. Clair nevertheless made an impressive debut and few years later made couple of interesting silent films that would make him one of the most celebrated European film makers of its time. The audience that watches Paris qui dort would, like with many 1920s titles, have to reconcile with technical limitations of silent era while fans of science fiction cinema would see it more like an interesting curiosity than proper genre classic.

RATING: 6/10 (++)

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