Movie spotlight

Dans l'Hellade

Name: Dans l'Hellade
Released: 1909-08-16
Duration: 7 min

1909

Movie

7 min

French

In all the arts the ancient Greeks excelled and their statuary, their music, their poetry, their dances, have remained to subsequent generations a standard to be followed and emulated. Terpsichore was the goddess of the dance, and if we read our mythology aright, taught the poetry of motion to her devotees. To all but a few who have made a study of Hellenic dancing such grace of action, such lithesomeness of body as was essential to the art when Grecian beauties tripped lightly and rhythmically over the green sward, is impossible. Mesdemoiselles Napierkowska and Marly, however, are superb in an exquisitely graceful ballet by Sacha Dezac, entitled "In Ancient Greece." The dance is perfect and the quality of the film is such that it is difficult to believe that the dancers do not themselves appear in the flesh before the eyes of the spectators, instead of being a mere photographic reproduction of their swaying rhythmic movements.

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Insights

Director: Unknown•Genres: Documentary, Short

Plot Summary

This early silent film is a documentary short that provides glimpses of life and landscapes in Greece. It captures scenes that would have been considered exotic and informative for audiences of the time, showcasing the country's natural beauty and perhaps some cultural elements. The film serves as a historical artifact, offering a visual record of Greece over a century ago.

Critical Reception

As a silent documentary short from 1909, formal critical reception in the modern sense is not well-documented or preserved. Its value lies in its historical significance as an early example of travelogue filmmaking and its visual record of Greece during that period.