| The Pillar of Fire | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Georges Méliès |
Production company | |
Release date |
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Running time | 1 minute |
| Country | France |
| Language | Silent |
The Pillar of Fire (French:Danse du feu), initially released in America and Britain asHaggard's "She"—The Pillar of Fire[1] and also known asLa Colonne de feu,[2] is an 1899 silenttrick film directed byGeorges Méliès[3] based onH. Rider Haggard's 1887 novelShe: A History of Adventure. It is an earlyfantasy film depicting adevil.
A devil cavorts in a large fireplace, kindling a fire. Out of a giant skillet rises a young woman in voluminous white robes. As smoke rises in the fireplace, the woman begins aserpentine dance. Her skirts take on the appearance of flames until, finally, she disappears in a burst of fire.
The Pillar of Fire was the first film to be based onH. Rider Haggard's 1887 novelShe: A History of Adventure.[2] Rather than attempting to tell the whole story of the novel, Méliès used one of its characters as inspiration for a trick film,[4] recalling the scene in the novel in which Ayesha stands amid flames.[5] At least six other adaptations ofShe were made in the silent era.[5]
The film was released by Méliès'sStar Film Company and is numbered 188 in its catalogues.[1] While the film was marketed in America and Britain asHaggard's She, emphasizing the connection with the popular novel, it was offered simply asDanse du feu in France, with no mention of Haggard.[4]
Like many of Méliès's films,The Pillar of Fire was offered in ahand-colored print with coloring designed and directed byElisabeth Thuillier. The surviving hand-colored print of the film is an ornate example of Thuillier's work for Méliès.[3]
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