Abstract
This chapter analyses the final part of La Fin du Monde and its depiction of global catastrophe. Cuff explores the radical differences between the screenplay and the surviving montage of La Fin du Monde. The chapter emphasizes how unlikely it was for Gance to realize his original ideas within the context of early sound technology. Cuff analyses the film’s uneven attempts to depict the threat of an incoming comet on life on Earth. The chapter counters some of the negative critical reactions to La Fin du Monde, making a case for the aesthetic value of scenes such as the orgy, Martial’s announcement of the ‘universal republic’, and the worldwide panic.
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Cuff, P. (2016). The World on Fire. In: Abel Gance and the End of Silent Cinema. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-38818-2_9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-38818-2_9
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