End of the World (La fin du monde) 07/11/23

Gaumont has done right by this orphaned opus from France’s silent film genius Abel Gance’s — his follow-up to Napoléon is a supremely hubristic science fiction epic that’s half social hysteria and half mystical insanity. Gance casts himself as a Christ figure who reunites the world in the face of an impending astral collision; his producers put his bizarre three-hour cut through an editorial shredder. The disastrous early sound epic veers between incompetent dramatics and highly-effective special effects sequences. It’s a 2021 restoration, slightly longer than earlier versions and in much better shape, picture and sound. On Blu-ray from Kino Classics.
07/11/23