La roue
Subtitle: The wheel
By: a Flicker Alley digital edition from the Blackhawk Films collection ; scénario d'Abel Gance animé par l'auteur ; restoration produced by Eric Lange, David Shepard
Contributors: Mars, Séverin, 1873-1921, actor; Close, Ivy, 1890-1968, actor; Gravone, Gabriel de, actor; Magnier, Pierre, actor; Burel, Léonce-Henri, 1892-1977, cinematographer; Israel, Robert, 1963- composer; Film Preservation Associates; Flicker Alley (Firm)
Edition: Deluxe DVD ed.
Series: Blackhawk Films collection; Blackhawk Films collection
Publisher: Film Preservation Associates; Distributed by Flicker Alley
Published: 2008
Place of publication: [Hat Creek, CA]; Los Angeles, CA
Language: eng
Format: [videorecording] =
Number of pages: 270
Subjects: Drama; Adopted children; Man-woman relationships; Triangles (Interpersonal relations); Fathers and sons
Other titles: Wheel
Description: "I know that Creation is a Great Wheel which cannot move without crushing someone!" - Victor Hugo. With this quotation begins the story of widowed railroad engineer Sisif. He finds an infant girl in a train wreck, and realizing that her parents are dead, rescues her and decides to raise her as his daughter, Norma. His wife died in childbirth, and Norma will make a good companion for his son, Elie. Knowing nothing of Norma's true origins, Elie and Norma grow up having an unusually close relationship, stopped from developing any further by their belief they are siblings. Haunted by his actions and resultant guilt, Sisif is driven to drink, making him all the more susceptible to the scheming of his wealthy boss, De Hersan, who wants to marry Norma. Though Norma refuses Hersan at first, Sisif's dismissal from the railway forces her to accept, which destroys both men. Elie realizing that he could have had the love of his life all along--once the truth comes out--is especially tragic. This seminal film introduced many innovations in set design and construction, location shooting, cinematic graphic effects, and particularly rhythmic editing. Gance's technique was years ahead of its time and influenced filmmakers all over the world, as his technical mastery is always in the service of the story.
Notes: Originally produced as a French motion picture in 1922.

Booklet includes the essays "Abel Gance's 'Tragedy of modern times' : La roue" by William M. Drew, and "Composing for La roue" by Robert Israel.

Opérateurs, [Léonce-Henri] Burel, [Marc] Bujard, [Maurice] Duverger ; music composed, orchestrated and conducted by Robert Israel ; restoration and editing, Eric Lange ; title translation, Lenny Borger, David Shepard.

Séverin Mars (Sisif), Ivy Close (Norma), Gabriel de Gravone (Elie), Pierre Magnier (Jacques de Hersan).

DVD; Region 0 (All), NTSC; stereo; standard presentation, 1.33:1 aspect ratio.

Silent film with English inter titles and a new musical score.
Table of contents: title: Disc 1. First part:; title: The rose of the rail -- Fifteen years pass -- Machefer -- This modern world -- Reading Sisif's palm -- Sisif's confession -- The forbidden love -- The reprimand -- Marry him, since you love him -- Child stealer! -- Sisif writes to Hersan -- There are shames -- Blinded! -- Goodbye, old friend-- (161 min.).; title: Disc 2. Second part:; title: Elie declares his love -- Searching for Elie -- You're all I have now -- Drama in the valley -- The anniversary of Elie's death -- Night and the snow -- Norma speaks to Elie -- Norma's name day -- Dancing "The Wheel"-- (101 min.); Special features: Autour de La roue = Around "The Wheel" making-of featurette (8 min.); Original pressbook [slide show] (3 min.).