HISTOIRE EXTRAORDINAIRE (TALES OF MYSTERY AND IMAGINATION. SPIRITS OF THE DEAD)

Italy, 1968, 120 minutes, Colour.
William Wilson: Brigitte Bardot, Alain Delon.
Directed by Roger Vadim.

Metzengerstein: Jane Fonda, James Robertson Justice, Francoise Prevost, Peter Fonda.
Directed by Roger Vadim.

Toby Dammit: Terence Stamp, Salvo Randone.
Directed by Federico Fellini.

Histoire Extraordinaire is a collection of stories from Edgar Allen Poe, written and directed by three of Europe’s major directors of the 1960s.

Roger Vadim directs his then wife, Jane Fonda, in Metzengerstein. It is very beautifully photographed, castles, the sea, costumes and décor. Jane Fonda portrays an evil baroness, a tyrant, her kingdom full of brutality, dehumanising games, sexuality. She is bent on the destruction of the good – but her cousin, played by Peter Fonda, comes to confront her and destroy her.

William Wilson is written and directed by Louis Malle. It is Poe’s story of The Double. Alain Delon is a villain as well as a good character, the exact resemblance to the evil character, and the two confront each other, especially with the good man controlling the evil. Brigitte Bardot appears in support during a card game.

Toby Dammit is an updating of a Poe story (and the film was released separately with the title Never Bet the Devil Your Head). It was written and directed by Federico Fellini who had made such an impact in the late 50s and 1960s with La Dolce Vita, 8½, Juliet of the Spirits. He was about to make his Satyricon. The film focuses on Terence Stamp as a British movie star who comes to Italy to work on an odd production: a western which reworked the story of Christ. What happens is that his own demons take him over and he creates his own evil world.

Fellini has technical bravura, an odd perspective on humanity – even caricature. The film is both exhilarating and alarming.

The film also had the services of one of Italy’s to cinematographers, Giuseppe Rotunno, and the score was by Nino Rota who wrote the music for many of Fellini’s films including 8½ as well as Zeffirelli’s Romeo and Juliet. There is a dubbed version which features a narration by Vincent Price.

1. The title, the alternate title of 'Spirits of the Dead'? Indication of tone and themes? Audience expectations of horror films, styles, fulfilment of expectations?

3. Comment on the film as an understanding of Edgar Allen Poe from a European point of view. The French comments, Fellini's adapted modern interpretation of Poe? The fascination of Poe's material for Europeans?

3. Do the three films blend together to form a whole? Their overall impact, the priority of the ordering of the films, any relationships among themselves or are they completely separate?

4. Metzengerstein: the opulence of its decor and look, the presentation of a decadent Europe? The tone and atmosphere? Its relationship to Poe's puritanical American outlook? Why did he choose this kind of setting for the exploration of his themes?

5. How successful is the device of the narration, the comment on the behaviour, the drawing of the morals by the narrator? Did this involve the audience or distance it? As a device for a horror film?

6. The character, Frederica, and the interpretation by Jane Fonda? Her being presented as a wanton, her way of life, aristocracy and wealth, the visual opulaence of her clothes, her court, her courtiers? The sensual manner of the presentation and this particular emphasis?

7. The contrast between the two cousins? The irony of the two Fondas playing these roles? Frederica and her arrogant way of life, Wilhelm and his simple pleasures contrasting with the decadence?

8. The dramatic impact of their encounter, her infatuation, his rejection, the effect on each of them?

9. The impulsive arrogance of Frederice's burning his barn, the mayhem and the anxiety during the spectacular fire? The importance of the rescue of the horse, the irony of Wilhelm's death?

10. The symbolic horse on the tapestry and its being burnt, the effect on Frederice, her wanting the tapestry to be finished, her anxiety until it was finished? Her change of attitude after the death of her cousin? Her improvement? Her indulging her decadence?

11. The build-up to the storm, its artificiality and symbolism, the burning landscape and Frederice riding into it? The impact of the horse and her trying to tame it, her isolated relationship with the horse and the overtones of Wilhelm's presence, the horse taking her into the burning countryside and to her death? What was the the moral
of this horror story?

12. William Wilson: comment on the change of style from the earlier short story. Its presentation as more factual, the role of flashbacks, the precision and straightforwardness of the style? While the naraator was missing, was there sufficient narrative to adequately fill in the details for the audience?

13. The impact of this horror story, the opening fall, the confession and the driven nature of William Wilson? The puzzle about him and audience curiosity?

14. Comment on the impact of the school sequences, the evil in William Wilson and the way it was manifested?

15. The comparison with the university sequence, the anatomy lecture, the parody of this with the prostitute and the malevolence of William Wilson?

16. The comparison with the Army experience, Wilson's cruelty in pursuing the prostitute, the lashing?

17. Comment on the impact of the Doppelganger idea. The mystery of the two faces of the ono person? The two sides of character and these being visualised? What were the meanings of the two characters within William Wilson? As manifested in the school sequence, in the other person stopping, Wilson persecuting the prostitute and in the anatomy sequence? His entry into the card came?

18. The significance of the death of William Wilson and the death of his other self? The knifing, the throwing of himself from the tower? Which person was actually confessing? The irony of the knife wound at the end?

19. The importance of the visual symbols of parallels, the double role played by Brigitte Bardot and the effect of this for the Doppelganger?

20. Toby Dammitt: the significance of Fellini's using this title when the original was 'Never Bet the Devil Your Head'? The humour and ironic touch of the horror theme? Fellini’s interest in Poe?

21. Comment on Fellini's touch, the adaptation of Poe's insights and horror to the present day, to the contemporary Italian scene? The importance of Fellini's use of music, colour, the parade of grotesques, the atmosphere of the film world, the parody and the mocking?

22. Comment on the impact of the grotesque characters and their visual presence that Fellini uses. What was their function in this particular film? A pageant and a parade of an unreal world?

23. Toby Dammit within this atmosphere and world? The importance of his own narrative and memories? His personality, character and weakness, his androgenous appearance, the nature of his journey and leaving England, the strange world (and yet the reality of the plane and the airport), the melodrama of his arrival and his being feted?

24. The irony of his being haunted by the devil-figure? The nature of the devil-figure as the small girl? The nature of her appearances, the effect on him? The way this was worked into his being interviewed on his arrival?

25. Comment on the parody of the interviews at the airport and the descriptions of the religious western etc. Comment on the irony and the satire in the television interviews, the satire in the Awards night and the ballyhoo that went on. What was Fellini criticising? The implications of applying Edgar Allen Poe and horror to these modern situations?

26. The significance of Toby's drive, the nature of the town in which he was, his inadequacy as a celebrity, as a person?

27. The symbolism of his being - lost, the visual presentation of the end of the road?

28. What was the moral of the story, his submitting himself to the Devil, his attempt to save his life, the irony of his losing it?

29. What were the major themes that emerged from this contemporary look at Edgar Allen Poe? What is the fascination in terms of horror and the subconscious in Poe?