Review of La perle

Directed by the little known Belgian aristocrat Henri d’Ursel,The Pearl (1929) is a lightly erotic silent masterpiece, over 30 minutes long, that links Celine and Julie go Boating, Jean Vigo, Man Ray, Maya Deren and the early crime serials (or should that be surreals?) of Louis Feuillade, which were much admired by the surrealists. In The Pearl, the body-hugging costumes of Musidora in Vampires are brought to mind, by a vampish sexy pearl thief, played by the suitably named Kissa Kouprine, whose mischievous allure and stocking tops entice a young man from fidelity to his fiancée who is enjoying a languorous idyllic summer setting. The film moves easily between lush meadows, woods, waterways, Parisian rooftops, corridors and bedrooms, with an eye for an image as impressive as the beguiling atmosphere.