The Pillar of Fire

''The Pillar of Fire'' (french: Danse du feu), initially released in America and Britain as ''Haggard's "She"—The Pillar of Fire'' and also known as ''La Colonne de feu'', is an 1899 short silent trick film directed by Georges Méliès.

Summary

A devil cavorts in a large fireplace, kindling a fire. Out of a giant skillet rises a young woman in voluminous white robes. As smoke rises in the fireplace, the woman begins a serpentine dance. Her skirts take on the appearance of flames until, finally, she disappears in a burst of fire.

Production

''The Pillar of Fire'' was the first film to be based on H. Rider Haggard's 1887 novel '' She: A History of Adventure''. Rather than attempting to tell the whole story of the novel, Méliès used one of its characters as inspiration for a trick film, recalling the scene in the novel in which Ayesha stands amid flames. At least six other adaptations of ''She'' were made in the silent era.

Release

The film was released by Méliès's Star Film Company and is numbered 188 in its catalogues. While the film was marketed in America and Britain as ''Haggard's She'', emphasizing the connection with the popular novel, it was offered simply as ''Danse du feu'' in France, with no mention of Haggard.

Like many of Méliès's films, ''The Pillar of Fire'' was offered in a hand-colored print with coloring designed and directed by Elisabeth Thuillier. The surviving hand-colored print of the film is an ornate example of Thuillier's work for Méliès.

References

External links

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''The Pillar of Fire''
on YouTube

1899 films
French silent short films
French black-and-white films
Films based on She
Films directed by Georges Méliès
Articles containing video clips
1899 short films
1890s French films
Demons in film

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