The Pillar of Fire (1899)

Bathed in an eerie glow from the hand-tinted underworld, the French cinematic maestro, Georges Méliès, takes us on a journey into the fiery belly of Hell in 'The Pillar of Fire'. Here, we find two grim gargoyles, petrified sentinels, guarding a chamber that crackles with the searing heat of the infernal furnace. From this hellish panorama bursts forth a grotesque devil, emerald green and armed with a razor-sharp trident, his bat-like wings casting ominous shadows. This devil, with a macabre joy, dances around a titanic cauldron, his trident sparking flames that light the fire beneath the pot. He feeds the flames, their fiery tongues licking the pot's underside, the heat growing more intense with every thrust of his infernal bellows. In the midst of this fiery ballet, a vision of purity materializes from the pot – a woman, angelic and serene, clad in a pristine white robe. The devil and his cauldron evaporate, giving way to the woman's enchanting dance. Her diaphanous sleeves ripple in the heated air as she moves, her graceful Serpentine Dance breathing new life into the dying embers. The dance grows wilder, the woman's movements stirring the flames into a frenzied dance of their own. The blaze becomes an all-consuming pyre, growing in strength and intensity until the woman herself is swallowed by the flames. She ascends into the smoke-filled air, leaving the audience in awe and wonder. Is her fiery end the climax, or is there more to this hellish ballet? 'The Pillar of Fire' leaves you on the edge of your seat, hungry for the answers.

The Pillar of Fire is a fantasy movie featuring Jehanne d'Alcy.

The Pillar of Fire is currently streaming on Criterion Channel.