If we can agree to put aside the highly questionable moral position of Fantomas for whom human life has no value (except of course his own and his lover and brilliant accomplice, Lady Beltham), and therefore clears off number of people without any scruple, then the series is absolutely brilliant !
If we can accept the various intrigues and improbable and incredible situations that take place throughout the four episodes, then we can see as the filmmaking is brilliant.
In fact it's all about atmosphere, mood and mystery, absolutely gorgeous scenery ...
The different women / actresses in the series are frankly sublime, and men / actors are also not left out : a real treat for the eyes !
Kristina Van Eyck especially, (and Gayle Hunnicut too) wow
these are the real women !
Helmut Berger, the Prince of Darkness
I didn't expect Jacques Dufilho to be as good as he is... and all supporting actors are excellent
Apart in one strange and exceptionally beautiful scene, there is no direct eroticism in the actual meaning of the word, but an out-dated classic charm close to eroticism emerges all along the series, in many scenes. It is may be not obvious for everyone's eyes, but it was for me.
The tempo is rather slow, but as much the camera work as the work of the light are perfectly in accordance with the epoch and places where the action happen, at no time we do feel slowness or boredom. The scenes of battles and murders will certainly not appeal to realistic movie fans, but for me still, they are perfect in spirit and in the mood ...
I especially liked the one or two scenes in which Fantomas and Lady Beltham kiss each other : it looks like real kisses !
And not how I regret in almost any "classic" movies, in which unfortunately actors (as brilliant as they can be) literally stick their mouth on each other's in "love scenes"... which, in my opinion, always takes away a great deal of emotion, because no true lover in the world kiss by sticking just one mouth on the other's !
Apart that, I must admit that after the second episode "L'étreinte du diable" I was a little hesitant to continue watching, because it bothered me a little to see so many murders and kills, but the images were still so beautiful that I put aside my reticence. And fortunately... I did not regret it !
If you know and love "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" TV series with Jeremy Brett and Edward Hardwicke, then I sincerely think that you also may enjoy this Fantomas series.
I would not say the acting is exceptional, as are JB and ED in Sherlock Holmes series, no...
but it's more all assembled parts that makes this one a superb and exceptional series.
Fantomas is, to summarize, a film of charm and atmosphere ...
Me, I just loved it :-)
