Presented by the fiddlechicks
@Mercury Cinema
THURSDAY 8th March (March 15)

Au Bonheur Des Dames is a film so obscure that it doesn’t even have its own Wikipedia page. Filmed in 1930, it is silent, based on a novel of the same name first published in 1883, and, despite being an 82 year old film with a 129 year old plot, is still surprisingly relevant.

The film is presented by the Fiddle Chicks, an Adelaide band made up of Emma Luker and Dee Trewartha who play the score for the film live.

The plot focuses on Denise Baudu (Dita Parlo), an orphan who comes to Paris to live with her widowed uncle and his only daughter Geneviève (Nadia Sibirskaïa). Her uncle owns a fabric store which is failing, due to the new, well publicised and hugely popular ‘Au Bonehur Des Dames’;  a department store run by the womanising Octave Mouret (Pierre de Guingand). To help ends meet (and the plot advance) she takes up a job as a ‘model’ in the department store, a role which seems to consist of 80% sitting around in a room full of women wearing underwear and occasionally fighting and leap-frogging, 15% having lunch and 5% actually parading in high-end clothes for wealthy female customers.

I’m not sure if it is just me, but I initially had set view of silent films as simple, melodramatic and hilariously overacted. While this film ticks boxes two and three, I think actually this is necessary in a film that cannot rely on sound to get its point across. It was also remarkable how it managed to cram in so many plot features; a lecherous manager, a cheating fiancé, the impact of tuberculosis and an overly promiscuous fellow model were just a few.

Naturally there were the typical hilariously overacted scenes that silent films are notorious for. The protagonist’s innocent-yet-come-hither expression was oft repeated, with increasing audience laughs every the actress cracked it out. The predictable-yet-necessary love plot between Denise and Mouret had masterful moments of ‘lingering glances’ and clichéd lines (expressed in French dialogue cards with English subtitles). However, in terms of plot, themes and impact, this film is on par with modern day cinema.

I think I just assumed that films made in the 1930s were ‘tame’ and ‘100% G rated’ which made the scenes of attempted assault and the violent twist at the end so much more shocking. Au Bonheur des Dames tackles the ideas of capitalism, the potential negative impact of ‘progress’, the breaking point of a human being, and even touches on issues of feminism.

The film alone would be enough of a selling point for this event, however, what really made it stand out was the exuberant and energetic live score. Luker and Trewartha played with an almost unbelievable stamina for the entire 85 minutes of film with only a ten minute break during the interval.

I think the only down point of the event was the 1930s fashion parade in the interval. While a great idea in theory, it broke up the film at a critical point, and, while the clothes were interesting to look at, the segment was a quite awkwardly presented.

Other than this, the event was spectacular. Whether intentionally or inadvertently, the Fiddle Chicks have managed to tap into the recent popularity of both the 1930s and silent films. However, watching Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries and The Artist, whilst both excellent, are not an alternative for this event.

The music augmented what was already an unusually entertaining film, and overall, Au Bonheur des Dames highlighted to me that cinema hasn’t improved over time – it’s just changed.