BLUEBEARD


US, 1944, 72 minutes. Black and white.
John Carradine, Jean Parker, Nils Asther, Ludwig Stossel.
Directed by Edgar G. Ulmer.

Bluebeard is considered one of the best films by Edgar G. Ulmer. His other standout film, made in the following year, 1945, was Detour. Ulmer, born in what is now the Czech Republic, made films in the United States for around thirty years, most of them mini-budget features.

With Bluebeard, he has a strong story, a variation on the Bluebeard mythology. John Carradine, in a very straightforward role, unlike most of his other performances, is a Parisian puppeteer who has suffered a trauma through the fickle behaviour of a woman that he had saved from death. As a painter, he tries to recreate the painting he originally did of this woman, but each painting does not satisfy his high standards and he strangles the models. Meanwhile, he has many puppets and performs operas with the puppets in a Parisian park.

Jean Parker is a dress designer who sees the puppet show and is invited by the puppeteer to make clothes for his puppets. Her sister, the girlfriend of the police inspector investigating the murders, joins in the plan to trap the Bluebeard, posing for him, realising who he is – and becoming a victim herself.

The puppeteer finally has a long speech to the dress designer, explaining himself – before he is pursued, falling into the Seine where he had disposed of the bodies of the women.

The film has a very small budget, relies on artificial sets – but, audiences accepting these limitations, it is a very good film of its kind.

1. The impact of the film? Serial killers – 1940s style of film-making? About 19th century killers? The overtones of such criminals as Jack the Ripper?

2. The small budget, the stylised sets? The cast? John Carradine in a straightforward and serious role? The reputation of the director?

3. The Parisian settings, the bodies in the Seine, the famous landmarks in the late 19th century? The musical score?

4. Gaston Morel, his work as an artist, the visuals of his paintings? His work as a puppeteer? The performance in the park? His character? His relationship with Renee? Her taunting him? His killing her and disposing of the body? His encounter with Lucille and her friends? Inviting them to the performance? Talking with Lucille, backstage, the invitation to do the clothes for the puppets? His art dealer and his hold over him? Knowledge of what had happened to the women? The art dealer and his selling the paintings? The sale of the painting to the count? Its exhibition? Morel’s fears that the model would be recognised? His going to Lucille, the encounter with Francine? His agent persuading him to do the final painting? In the studio, the model in the mirror? His coming out from behind the curtain, Francine recognising him, his killing her? His escape? Lucille going to see him, the long talk and the explanation of his motivations, the story of his saving the woman, her spurning him? The other models and his painting the same woman, his killing the women? His love for Lucille, the threat? Attempting to kill her? His escape, the pursuit by the police, the rooftops, his falling into the Seine?

5. The puppet show, the opera? Renee and her jealousy? Going to Gaston’s house, her death?

6. Lucille and her friends, the shop? The encounter in the street with Gaston? Going to the show, Lucille fascinated, deciding to make the clothes? The cravat and her mending it? Her later realising the truth? With Francine? Her grief at Francine’s death? Going to Gaston, his explanations, declaration of love? Almost killed?

7. The agent, sinister, the deals he made, making the profits and deceiving the artist? His persuading him for the final painting? The count and the sale? The police and their interrogations? His death?

8. The police, the investigations, the inspector and the interrogation of Gaston? With Francine, the setup, the officer posing as her father? The signals, the difficulty of the curtains being drawn, lighting the cigar? The confrontation with the agent?

9. The popular ingredients of a 19th century police investigation in Paris? A portrait of a serial killer?