Absinthe: The Green Fairy In Cinema

Dir: Alice Guy - France - 1899
Short film/silent

This is the earliest known reference to
absinthe in film and it was made in France
during the "Belle Époque" period, when
absinthe was at the peak of its popularity.
The title translates as Wonderful Absinthe

Dir: Émile Cohl - France - 1910
Short film/silent/animation

Early animation featuring a man sitting beside a
white circle where words like "wine" and "absinthe"
pop up, followed by delirious hallucinations of
distorted faces and bodies

USA - 1913
Short film/silent

Glen White as "the artist" and a glass of absinthe with
a brouilleur (water dripper) on top to create the louche
action (which slowly mixes ice water with the absinthe
to release the essence of the essential herbs in the
absinthe). This was an anti-absinthe propaganda film,
popular at the time due to the "temperance movement".
Absinthe had just been banned in the USA in 1912, and
with the passage of the 18th Ammendment in 1917 the
Prohibition of all alcoholic beverages went into effect in
1920. Lasting 13 years, Prohibition would finally be
lifted by the 21st Ammendment in 1933, but absinthe
would remain banned until 2007.

Dir: Frank Lloyd - USA - 1920
Silent

Pauline Frederick as Madame X with glass of
absinthe, and slightly behind the absinthe glass (in
the top pic) is a nice "brouilleur", which would be
placed on top of the glass and filled with ice water
that would slowly drip into the absinthe for the
perfect "louche".

Dir: Lionel Barrymore - USA - 1929

Ruth Chatterton as the absinthe-addicted "tortured soul"
known as Madame X. This is the fourth cinematic version of
Madame X and the first "sound" version, made at the dawn
of the "talkie".

Dir: Jacques Becker - France - 1952

A French crime/drama based on a true story and set during
the Belle Epoque period, when absinthe flowed freely

Dir: Vincente Minnelli - USA - 1956

Kirk Douglas as absinthe-loving artist Vincent van Gogh

Dir: Yves Robert - France - 1990

Adolphe Cassignole: "Child, for the poet you must without
delay...prepare the emerald absinthe today! My muse uses
me up sometimes. For four days I've been trying to change
a poor rhyme. It's a brown stain on my alabaster."

Dir: Maurice Pialat - France - 1991

Jacques Dutronc as Vincent van Gogh

Dir: Francis Ford Coppola - USA - 1992

"Absinthe is the aphrodisiac of the self. The green fairy who
lives in the absinthe wants your soul. But you are safe with me."

Dir: Agnieszka Holland - UK/France/Belgium - 1995

Verlaine to bartender: "Absinthe, two!"

Leonardo DiCaprio as French poet Arthur
Rimbaud and David Thewlis as Paul Verlaine

TV Series - UK - 2000
Episode: "The Big Lock-Out"

Bernard: "We're trying something new. Absinthe, you know
that one...that slogan 'The Drink That Makes You Want To
Kill Yourself Instantly'."

Dir: Albert Hughes/Allen Hughes - USA - 2001

Johnny Depp as Inspector Abberline who likes to enjoy a glass of absinthe and laudanum from time to time.

The so-called "Bohemian absinthe ritual" is used in this film; which means dousing the sugarcube with absinthe before lighting it on fire. Despite what you may hear, this is not a traditional absinthe ritual and was begun in certain bars in the Czech Republic in the late '90s. The authentic absinthe ritual of dripping ice water into a glass of absinthe actually serves a purpose. The ice water causes the essential herbs (anise, fennel, wormwood etc.) in the absinthe to be released, causing the drink to "cloud" up and is integral to its flavor. This process is known as the "louche". The sugarcube is optional, depending on the taste of the drinker. The Bohemian flaming absinthe ritual serves no purpose other than showiness, and possibly trying to play up the illicit "drug" aspect of absinthe in people's minds.

Dir: Baz Luhrmann - USA/Australia - 2001

The "Bohemian (flaming) absinthe ritual" is used again in this
film. These scenes, along with the ones mentioned in the
above film, From Hell, have introduced many people to
absinthe for the first time. Unfortunately, they are a bit
misleading, since the flaming absinthe ritual is not a part of
classic absinthe culture and was introduced as recently as
the 1990s.

"It was the perfect plan. I was to audition for Satine, and
I would taste my first glass of absinthe."
"I'm the Green Fairy...The hills are alive, with The Sound Of
Music."

Dir: Barbet Schroeder - USA - 2002

"No, I have something better."
"-What is it?"
"Absinthe. Wormwood-infused alcohol...Poets drank it for
inspiration. It's been illegal since the turn of the century."
"...To the systematic derangement of our senses."
"Forget the senses. Let's derange the world."

TV Series - USA - 2003

Patrick Bauchau as Professor Lodz, a mentalist, whose favorite
drink happens to be absinthe

Dir: Jeff Schaffer - USA - 2004

Horrible portrayal of absinthe, but it is just a slapstick teen-
comedy, so it's to be expected...by the way, if you're
interested in trying absinthe for the first time, don't waste
your money on something that looks like bright green glow-
stick "juice" in a bottle. This is a sure sign of "faux" absinthe,
which usually means it's just a high proof alcohol mixed with
wormwood oil and artificial coloring and flavor added. This will
taste like crap, no matter how many sugarcubes you add; and
you will probably never want to try absinthe again. Instead, be
sure you seek out an authentic absinthe that has been distilled
after an initial maceration and then macerated again. This
secondary maceration causes chlorophyll from the herbs to be
released, giving absinthe a natural green color. So proper
absinthe should not look like mouthwash or glow-stick "juice".

i.e., It should not
look like this

TV Series - Canada - 2004
Episode: "The Green Fairy"

In this episode the host of the show, Kevin Brauch, travels
to different areas where absinthe is distilled

Dir: Stephen Sommers - USA - 2004

"Here's to what keeps you going."
"Absinthe. Strong Stuff. Don't let it touch
your tongue. It'll knock you on your..."

TV Series - UK - 2007
Episode: "The Dinner Party"

Richmond: "Have you got any absinthe?"
Jen: "No."
Richmond: "I only drink absinthe."
Jen: "Absinthe? No. Red Wine? White Wine? Carlsberg?"
Richmond: "Oh Carlsberg. Perfect"

TV Series - USA - 2006
Episode: "Distilleries II"

This episode of Modern Marvels pays a visit to the Combier
Distillery in France and interviews Ted Breaux, creator of Lucid
and the Jade line of absinthes

Dir: Katja von Garnier - USA/UK - 2007

"Please, have a drink with me."
"Absinthe, it's an old ritual of mine."

In the background of the top picture is an absinthe water
fountain. In the middle picture he is holding a "Pontarlier"
style absinthe glass. In the foreground of the bottom picture
is a canister for holding the slotted absinthe spoons and a
water carafe for dripping ice water into the absinthe for the
"louche" effect.

Dir: David Arquette - USA - 2008
Short film

This is a short film based on a painting of the same name by
Mark Stock which depicts a butler holding an absinthe glass
and looking forlornly at a lipstick impression on the rim of the
glass. The film tells the backstory leading up to the image in
the painting. The still below shows the absinthe ritual, where
ice water from the fountain is dripped over the sugar cube and
into the glass of absinthe to achieve the "louche", which
releases the essence of the essential herbs in the absinthe.

Dir: Oliver Parker - UK - 2009

There's a very short scene of absinthe in Dorian Gray. As the
artist, Basil Hallward, paints Dorian's portrait, the camera pans
his studio showing various sketches of Dorian. Right before
the camera pan ends on Dorian himself, Basil sets down a beak
carafe beside an etched Cordon glass which has just been
nicely "louched".

TV Series - USA - 2010
Episode: "Job Offer"

Dir: Christopher Buddy - USA - 2010
Documentary

Excellent documentary on the history of absinthe, including
the ban on absinthe in the early 1900's and its re-emergence
nearly 100 years later. Below is a pic of absinthe distiller Ted
Breaux, creator of the Jade line of absinthes, as well as Lucid.
His Jade PF1901 is a recreation of the formula for the gold-
standard in absinthes, Pernod Fils from 1901 (hence PF1901).

Dir: Sam Wood - USA - 1943

Dir: David Lowell Rich - USA - 1966

Dir: Achim von Borries - Germany - 2004

Dir: Roger Planchon - France/Spain - 1998

Dir: Stephen Fry - UK - 2003

Dir: Jonas Pate/Josh Pate - USA - 1997

Dir: Nicholas Stoller - USA - 2010

Dir: Barbet Schroeder - France/Germany - 1969

Dir: Ferdinand Zecca - France - 1904
Short film

Dir: Gérard Bourgeois - France - 1911
Short film

Dir: Charles Shyer - UK/USA - 2004

"Why not make this an absinthe afternoon?"
"Brilliant."
"No idea what she's talking about. - You've had absinthe?"
"Not recently, no. Remind me, what is it again?"
"The Green Fairy. The French impressionists' liquid drug of choice."

Dir: Don McBrearty - UK/Canada - 2009
TV Series
Episode: "The Green Muse"

Dir: Roger Avary - USA - 2002

Victor: "I meet a Dutch TV actress and we drink absinthe at a bar called 'Absinthe'. The museums were cool, I guess. Lots of Van Goghs and the Vermeers were intense."

Dir: Tomm Coker/David Elliot - USA - 2007

Dir: Bertrand Bonello - France - 2011