Juve contre Fantômas (1913)
Directed by Louis Feuillade

Film Review

The second instalment in Louis Feuillade's five-part Fantômas serial sees a substantial shift towards the more familiar action thriller, making this a spectacular contrast to the first film in the series.  Although perhaps less atmospheric and menacing than the first film, Juve contre Fantômas has other pleasures, most notably the rapid sequence of action scenes.  Within minutes of escaping a terrible train disaster, our heroes are fighting for their lives amidst a raging inferno at a distillery, and more is to come!

The characters of Juve and Fantômas are also more fully developed and it is clear that what is developing is a bitter fight to the death.  Less spectre-like and abstract than in the first film, Fantômas is now revealed to be a dangerous, fully-fledged villain, thoroughly consumed by evil.

The relentless pace of this film is quite breathtaking, and is quite remarkable that Feuillade had achieved such a mastery of the suspense thriller so long before Hitchcock and other masters of the genre, and with comparatively primitive film-making technology.

The film ends with a truly brilliant cliff-hanger which provides an irresistible inducement to watch the next thrilling instalment in the series.

Film Synopsis

Police Inspector Juve has good reason to think that his formidable archenemy Fantômas is up to his old tricks when the body of a woman, badly disfigured, is found at the private residence of Dr Chaleck.  Accompanied by his faithful ally, the journalist Fandor, Juve follows Chaleck as he makes his way across Paris.  The mysterious doctor meets up with an attractive young woman named Joséphine, who hands him a note.  As Chaleck goes on his way, Juve continues to tail him, whilst Fandor keeps a close eye on the enigmatic Joséphine.  It transpires that the latter has as her lover a man named Martialle, who works for a distillery company.

To conclude a business deal, Martielle has to take a large sum of money by train.  Suspecting foul play, Fandor boards the train, just before Fantômas shows up with his gang of villains and steals the money.  The distillery worker and the journalist only just manage to avoid being killed in a spectacular train crash.  The cunning Fantômas then lures Juve to the distillery by sending him a telegram signed with Fandor's name.  Caught in their enemy's trap, the inspector and the journalist fire shots at each other before they realise their mistake.

Narrowly escaping a fierce ambush, Juve and his friend return to Paris to visit the home of Lady Bentham, Fantômas's former lover and partner in crime.  Intrigued by rumours that the house is haunted, they decide to wait here and see what develops.  Sure enough, a foul apparition present itself, in the form of the vile Lady Bentham.  It seems she is to assist Fantômas in his latest criminal escapade - which is to murder Juve in just a few days' time.  The plan is for someone to visit the inspector one night and murder him in his sleep...