L'inhumaine (1924) - full transcript

Claire Lescot is a famous prima donna. All men want to be loved by her. Among them is the young scientist Einar Norsen. When she mocks at him, he leaves her house with the declared intention to kill himself... But the story is much less important than the scenery : this movie intended to be a manifesto of the modern decorative arts.

Here, overlooking the city,

is the mansion of Claire Lescot, famous singer,
Unusual Woman.

Rich, independent,
inaccessible for the ones with ordinary ambitions.

Claire Lescot,
she has a kind of "international" salon,
where she meets this afternoon

some notable personalities of the whole world.

By the fantasy of this curious artist,
an academic, a famous clown,

a former minister,
a boxer, an industrialist, a poet,
they come here together,
a jumble ...

... with Frank Mahler, the great businessman (Kellerman).

... Kranine, "the Apostle",
the theorizer of the "humanitarian" movement.
(L.V. de Malte)

... a practitioner of despotism,
the maharajah Djorah of Nopur ...
(Philippe H?riat)

Among all those admirers of Claire Lescot,
there is a hidden rivalry



Each dreams of attracting to himself
this famous woman

whose triumphs have not reduced the loneliness.

Concert ... of protests
The return of Claire Lescot threatens to make much noise.

The upcoming marriage of the original singer
to Frank M.lh.r was just announced.

He (exactly) has the twelve main theaters
in the United States.

This announcement, and the strange maneuvers precipitated it,

would have upset certain rivals of the ambitious artist.

And it could be that her recital tomorrow night will be enriched
with an unexpected chorus of protests.

At last!... Claire ....

Even her close friends call her "The Inhuman Woman".
(Georgette Leblanc)

In this small court of powerful international people

where can be heard the most secret things...

... a clever mask makes the servants deaf
and always smiling.

a final guest is late ...
- Claire decides not to wait for him -



The late one ...

... a young engineer, passionate about mechanical sports

and the magic of modern science ...

... Einar Norsen
(Jaque-Catelain)

Claire, with her Glory, her Power, her Mystery,

deeply impresses this young fan of her
... does he dare enter ... so late?...

YES... after my two concerts,
it's decided - I LEAVE -

I will travel, ALONE, around the world...

... unless SOMETHING does detain me here ...

SOMETHING

What?

.. SUCCESS ? ...

.. LOVE ? ...

THE UNEXPECTED ? ...

She will go!
It's absolutely necessary,
this evening, that he speaks with her

- that he finds out
what would keep her here.

Why this world tour?
Why not America?...

There you may do as you please -
All my theaters, I offer them to you...

NO ... thanks ...
I am not interested in what I conquer!

Worried about Claire's departure,
"The Apostle" also proposes...

The wheel of society is always turning...
For a woman of action such as YOU,
what a beautiful task:

THE PROGRESS OF HUMANITY!

... our movement is going forward in Mongolia...
- Imagine what role you could play ... over there...

- your "HUMANITY"
does not interest me...
...for me
it are only the exceptional beings who matter!

As soon as Claire brought in distractions...

Djorah ... himself ...

.. A "CROWN"?
... I'm not dead yet!
... Kill me first!

- Waiting, -
- Claire's indifference has exasperated Einar's impatience .....

I do not want you to leave

... because I ... you

And soon...

they are playing with Fire ...

I am tired of fighting ...
of arguing with you

... I need your Strength
... you ... for myself alone.

... if you refuse...

... I will kill myself!

- If you can destroy your life so easily, -
it is
not worth very much!

This irony of Claire racks the desperation of Einar.

IT IS SAID ..
that our great singer
Cl. r. Le.c.t

has finally accepted the Indian crown
that a charming maharajah offered her.

Without You this world is hateful to me -
a blow will throw me into the Other.

Unaware of this all
Claire accepts to SING.

Without You this world is hateful to me -
a blow will throw me into the Other.

a little farm girl,
a little "innocent"
.........

It is - already -
the morning ...
and Claire has just learned ...

... The search was in vain.
The body has been lost in the water ...

This evening
CLAIRE LESCOT
Vocal Recital, Modern French Music

... She will not sing,
I think,
after t h a t !

Small News
He loved the beautiful too ...
...and that is what has killed Einar Norse, a young engineer,

who, last night, after leaving the house of the insensitive Cl..re L.sc.t,

found his death (voluntary is said), thanks to a jerk on the wheel towards a fatal slope.

... "THE APOSTLE" was excited for playing his part in the downfall of someone
who frustrated his personal ambition.

Punish this creature who insults HUMANITY
................
return, this evening, to her show.

Tauberger Theater Director
Champs Elysees
Unable to sing tonight

I will personally reimburse the box office.
Claire Lescot.

This renunciation of her singing, that her own sorrow and the social conventions

impose on Claire, causes in her
a cruel hesitation.

But the REASON for her rebellion against her SADNESS ...

Was it a betrayal of her duty to serve her ART? ...
Must she disappoint those who expect her to perform?...

For fear of the gossip ...

By cowardice before the sentimental hypocrisy of HUMANITY?...

Rumor has it that you will not sing this evening ...
Is this true? ...

... it is wrong ... I will sing this evening...

Everywhere, little by little, the slander curiously spreads.

He loved the beauty too much ... and that is what has killed
Einar Norse, a young engineer,

who, last night, after leaving the house of the insensitive Cl..re L.sc.t,

found his death (voluntary they say), thanks to a jerk on the wheel towards a fatal slope.

This Lescot, what an outrageous life!
Women like that we should lock up!

A young engineer commits suicide for an artist.

No mercy for her...
a woman without entrails!

THE EVENING

The audience is large, shaken by the tragedy ... the scandal.

Already
The show begins

among
the last to arrive.

The ballet is going to end.
The house is packed.

After a brief intermission, Claire appears.

Now a curious noise greeted Claire's entry

Suddenly Kranine attackes

The entire house is passionate - feverish -
for
or against this "inhuman" woman ...

... who boldly holds
her head up...

... and achieves such a triumph.

and while the hall empties out

- No - not for anyone!

I would like to speak to you
- in another place - about Einar Norsen...

They just found his body
horribly mutilated ...

to legally identify the body, two witnesses are required.

... Please be the other one.

At your home ...
tomorrow ...
seven o'clock ...

At time of the appointment

Towards
the strange laboratory where Einar Norsen's body lies ...

... Claire ... staggering of emotion ...

...music, unexpected ...
... hateful ...

In this torturous atmosphere,
Claire becomes bit by bit
upset ... haunted ...

Suddenly the wind ...

When she finally lets break
the Secret of her immense Human suffering ...

Suddenly-

- Excuse this ... deception ...

...to begin with ... it isn't:
I did leave your home to die,

...but, out of nowhere,
in a flash, I remembered ...

- If you can destroy your life so easily, -
it is
not worth very much!

And then I wanted them to think me dead in order
to understand you better

- even more strongly KNOW - what you were hiding ...

-You do not know anything!

- I KNOW you're here! -
And that if not for this, you would never have come here!

- YES! -
I know something more ...

HERE
SOMETHING
is going to make you renounce your trip.

While, disarmed, Claire smiled at this mystery, down below, Djorah ...

- Beware! -
This device is dangerous ...

DANGER OF DEATH

... Until tomorrow
... here ...
... to KNOW?...

The Prince's jealousy exasperates him

Claire wants to be
ALONE,
her spirit surprisingly obsessed.

My patience will not last longer than this rose

All this magical science seen at Einar's home -
attracts Claire

like something u n e x p e c t e d,
like strong as love.

At the scheduled time at the home of the "enchanting" modern scientist

The entire world IS HERE
01:30:34,000-->01:30:40,000
Move by TSF

See ... Why leave?
It is enough for you to just sing HERE in front of the microphone.

And while the T.S.F. radio voice
will broadcast your voice everywhere, on the same waves,

- by a new process - the IMAGE of your listeners will come back.

On this television screen you will be able to see, while you sing,

the people who listen to you all over the earth.

She travels without moving
through the abolished space...

through the joy and pain of people ...

She forgets the time ...

... and my concert! -
- it is awful ...

Already spectators in front of the theatres.

Yes ... it is a new device attached to the one where you almost burned yesterday,

and it produces a force of unsuspected effects ...

... Perhaps to revive the movements of a heart, to heal HUMANITY from death,

but I have not dared to test it on anyone.

Attention ... the machine ... ...

Will you be at home
... this evening
... after the theatre?

But ...
...yes -

The concert is over

I forbid you to go there.

Take care ... you will not arrive there ALIVE.

From Einar.

A reptile from Asia with a deadly poison.

To Mr. Norsen's house.

Then Einar, stupefied, discovers ...

And now the great laboratory beats with activity ...

For trying to save Clair
the daring experiment is tempting

Einar decided to try again,
- and on his COMMAND everything comes to life...

... as in a symphony of work.

I wanted to come at all costs
for the dangerous EXPERIMENT ...

... it was for love of . ..

....... HUMANITY .......