Les chalands (1911) watch online HD

There's something about the people who live and work on river barges that have fascinated film makers, from Raoul Walsh to Jean Vigo to Maurice Elvey to Victor Fleming -- great film makers all, but as diverse a bunch as you can get. Perhaps it is about the culture, perhaps it is about the ability to shift the background and mood without changing the table settings.

Here we see an ancestral work from 1911 about a girl who runs away from the barges. Papa says good riddance and takes a long walk. Maman puts away the soup with a heavy heart.

Actually, this is a very good movie, with some fine scenery, some restrained acting and a lovely pre-classical French camera that imparts a sardonic viewpoint to the entire matter. There's some padding to the end, but the pretty pictures more than compensate.

What you think of "Les Chalands" may well depend on your love of or familiarity with the early silent films. Compared to a film of the later silent era, the film is lacking quite a bit. But, in context, compared to other films made around 1911, it's quite good.

The film, like practically all films of the day, is short. Though, at 10 minutes it's actually about average in length for the day. And, it manages to tell the story well given its very brief running time.

"Les Chalands" is a story about a young woman who lives aboard a barge--boats that were very common along the Seine at that time. However, when she falls in love with a farmer, her father is angry--he won't allow his girl to marry a non-barge man. After slapping her, she runs off--and you can see how it all ends.

Overall, the story is told with sensitivity and the acting, for the most part, is very realistic (except when the dad slaps the daughter). You will notice, possibly, that the camera does not zoom nor move with the actors--as such innovations were only just becoming available about 1911. Worth seeing particularly if you love silents.