正在同步电影信息
BasedonthenovelbyEmileZola,thisstunninglyphotographedsilent-eraFrenchdramacentersonafarmerlockedinabitterlanddisputewithhisschemingsonsandtheinnocentwomancaughtinthemiddle.AsJeaniswalkingacrossthecountrysideinsearchofwork,hehelpsandbefriendsayoungwoman,Francoise,whoishavingtroublecontrollingthecowthatsheisleading.Jeanfindsworkatalocalfarm,buthesoonfindshimselfcaughtinthemiddleoftheconflictsinFrancoise'sfamily.HeruncleFouanhasjustdecidedtodivideeverythingthathehasamongsthistwosonsandhisdaughter,hopingthathecanthenspendtherestofhislifeatease.Butthedetailsofthedivisiononlycreatebitterness,rivalry,andintrigue.<br/> InthissilentfilmadaptationofEmileZola'sstoryofgreedanddeceptionamongsmalllandowners,ArmandBourstarsasOldFouan,afarmerwhoisslowlyrobbedofhisland,hisfarmhouseandhismoney,byhisownsons.FeaturesexcellentperformancesfromComedieFrancaiseactorsandcinematographydescribedbyPauldelaBorieasmeticulouslypainterly,almostMillet-like,initsneo-realism.<br/> Land("laterre")isthebattleground,thethingthatdividesfamiliesandchangeslivesintheepicFrenchsilent,LaTerre(1921).BasedonEmileZola'snovel,LaTerrerecountsthetaleoftwofamilieslivingintheFrenchcountrysidewhoselivesaredramaticallyalteredbythelandtheystandtoinherit.OldFouan(ArmandBour)andhiswifedecidetodivvytheironepossession--theirland--upbetweentheirsonsinexchangeforthesons'promisetolookafterthemintheirretirement.Butslowly,Fouan'scorruptsonsrobhimofhispensionandheissoonshuttlingbetweentheirhomesinsearchofasaferefugeashishealthdeclines.<br/> Inanotherpartofthecountryside,twosisters,Fran?oise(GermaineRouer)andhersisterLise(JeanneBriey)findtheirownlivesdevastatedbygreedforland.WhenLisemarriesoneofFouan'ssonsButeau(JeanHervé),thepairconspiretokeepFran?oisefrommarryingandinheritinghershareofthesisters'land.Inanevenmorebrutalturnofevents,ButeaubeginstothreatensexualviolenceagainstFran?oise,athreatthatfinallyculminatesinavicious,heartlesscrime.<br/> Greedprovestheundoingofthegoodmembersofthesefamilies,leavingthemostopportunisticandmercenarymembersincontrol,aprofoundindictmentoftheverystaffofFrenchlifeofthetime,whichwasfoundedonthestatusquo-sustainingimportanceoflaw,thefather,thefamilyandhome.BytheendofLaTerreallofthoseinstitutionshavebeenravaged.<br/> DirectorAndréAntoine'snaturalisticstyleisoneoftheprincipalappealsofthisengagingdrama.Thoughthetheaterdirectorturnedfilmmakereffectivelyconveysthedevastationandturmoiloffamiliesbattlingoverlandandmoney,equallyeffectiveinthefilmishowitdepictsdailylifeinruralFrance.Essentialrealismisconveyedinthechores,habitsandactivitiesthatdefinethefarmerswhoworkintheplainofBeaucenearChartres,theCloyesregionwhereZolasethisnovel.<br/> AntoinebroughtnaturalismtotheFrenchtheaterwherehebeganin1887andlaterbecamethefounderoftheThéatreLibre(1887-1896).Antoinewouldgoontodirectninefilms,mostofthemadaptationsofnovelsbysomeofFrance'sliterarygiantsincludingZolaandVictorHugo.<br/> OneofAntoine'scrucialinnovationswasaconceptstillinoperationtoday--theideaof"thefourthwall,"atermforthemetaphorical"wall"separatingtheactorsfromtheaudiencewhichgivestheaudiencetheimpressionofwatchingeventsastheynaturallyunfold.ActorsunderAntoine'sdirectionwouldnot"break"thefourthwallinanywaybyacknowledgingoraddressingtheaudience.AlongwithothernaturalistFrenchdirectorssuchasLouisFeuilladeandJacquesdeBaroncelli,Antoine,accordingtoRichardAbelinFrenchCinema"challengedtheprominenceofclass-conscious,studio-boundevasionsofthebourgeoismelodrama."IntheFrenchpressatthetime,notesAbel,thesefilmswerereferredtoas"atmospherefilms,""simpledramas"and"pleinairfilms."SpeakingofaseriesofshortfilmshehadmadetranslatedasLifeasItIs(1911),Feuilladesaidoftheseslice-oflife-dramas"theyeschewanyfantasyandrepresentmenandthingsastheyare,notastheyshouldbe."<br/> Feuillade'scommentprovestobeanequallyaptdescriptionofLaTerrewithitsharrowingandoftendisturbingportraitoftheviciousquibbling,greed,sexualviolence,jealousyandinhumanityoftheFrenchfamiliesportrayedinthefilm.<br/> Antoine'stranslationofthenaturalismofnovelstothestageandthentofilmwasextraordinaryandtookmanyforms.Heshothisfilmsonlocationinthecountryside,justastheImpressionistpaintershad.Thatdecisionwaspartlyaresponsetowartimelimitationsandadearthofmodernstudiosandequipment.<br/> Antoinealsorecognizedthatfilmrequiredadifferentkindofactingthantheater,andsodevelopedatroupeofactorsjusttoappearinhisfilms,thoughtheleadactorsinLaTerrewereprimarilydrawnfromtheComédieFran?aise.Heoftenusednonprofessionalsinsmallpartstofurtherintensifytherealism.<br/> Healsohadmultiplecameraswhichmovedbasedontheactionsofhisactorsinsteadofhavingactorsplaytothecamera,liberatingperformancesinasignificantway.MostcrucialtoAntoine,however,waschoosingstorieswhichwereinherentlyrealisticsincenoamountofrealisticactingandlocationscouldtransformastiltedandartificialscript.HewasespeciallydrawntostoriesoftheworkingclassmuchasadirectorlikeKingVidorwouldbeinhisowndayandreliedheavilyontheequallyprogressiveandnaturalisticfictionofHugoandZola.Amanofenormousrange,AntoinewouldeventuallygoontoworkasatheatreandfilmcriticforpublicationsincludingLeJournalandComoedia.<br/> Zolawasalsoconsideredawriterofthenaturalistschool,whosefictionwasimbuedwithaprofoundandearnestdesireforsocialjustice.RaisedinAix-en-Provence,Zola--whogrewupalongwiththepostimpressionistpainterPaulCezanne---movedtoPariswherehefirstworkedinapublishinghouseandthenasajournalist,acareerthatundoubtedlyinfluencedhisthirstforrealismandsocialjustice.<br/> Consideredalostfilm,theunknownLaTerrewaseventuallydonatedbytheGosfilmofondofMoscowtotheRoyalBelgianFilmArchive.AntoinehadoriginallystagedLaTerreathisThéatreAntoinein1901.
