Le Faux magistrat (1914) - film review

To stave off bankruptcy, the Marquis of Tergall is forced to sell his wife’s jewellery, but both the jewels and the money from the sale are stolen by two members of Fantômas’ band of crooks.  Meanwhile, Fantômas is in prison in Belgium.  In a desperate bid to bring the master criminal to justice in France, Inspecteur Juve contrives to allow Fantômas to escape, but the plan goes awry.  Juve ends up taking Fantômas’ place in prison and Fantômas escapes to freedom, later assuming the identity of an investigating judge. Fantômas wastes no time using his new identity to his evil advantage...

Le Faux Magistrat is the fifth and final instalment in Feuillade’s impressive and hugely popular Fantômas series.  Although this is a fairly well made film, certainly by the standards of its era, Le Faux Magistrat is noticeably weaker than the preceding films in the series.  Whereas the earlier films shine with originality and daring, the final film is a comparatively mundane affair, with nothing further to add.

This apathy is most noticeable in the film’s treatment of its main characters.  The master crook Fantômas is far less sinister than previously, ending up as a conventional villain than the elusive fiend of earlier adventures, whilst his arch-enemy Juve is reduced to the level of an imbecile.  Even the heroic Fandor, the original action hero, gets very little to do.

The compatively weak plot is reflected by a distinct lack of artistic creativity on the part of the film’s director.  It is more than evident that Feuillade has exploited the cinematic potential of Fantômas stories, and he was wise not to continue the series.

Despite some memorable set pieces (most notably the gruesome bell-ringing sequence, where blood and jewels rain down on a Church congregation), the film is overall a disappointment, lacking the drama and tension of the earlier films.  This is not helped by the poor quality of the surviving print, from which many important scenes are missing.

© James Travers 2001

Fantômas
Juve contre Fantômas
Le Mort qui tue
Fantômas contre Fantômas

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