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Dream and Reality
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Wikipedia article
'Dream and Reality' is a 1901 French silent short film directed by Ferdinand Zecca and distributed in France by Path Frres. The film depicts a man flirting with a pretty young woman suddenly waking up in bed next to his ugly wife.Review and link to watch the film:
Plot
A well-dressed man pours a glass of Champagne for a young woman who is sitting with him at a dining table. She's costumed, wearing a mask and cape. He removes the mask and cape, revealing a smiling beauty. He takes her in his arms to kiss her; she cooperates. This view is replaced by one of an old couple in bed, he kissing her, she enthusiastically willing. The man is not happy to be back in reality.[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0258104 IMDB: Rve et ralit (1901)]
Production and Distribution
The film was shot on 9 July 1901. It was distributed in France and Brazil,[http://filmographie.fondation-jeromeseydoux-pathe.com/4547-reve-et-realite Fondation Jrme Seydoux: Rve et ralit Zecca / Ferdinand 1901] as well as in the United States and Russia.
Analysis
The film is a remake George Albert Smith's 1900 film 'Let Me Dream Again'Georges Sadoul, 'Les pionniers du cinma (de Mlis Path), 1897-1909', Denol, 1947, p.200. Both films are composed of two shots, the first one showing the dream and the second the reality. However, an important difference is the technique used to show the transition from dream to reality. Smith used focus pulling to let the first shot slip out of focus before cutting to the second shot, which starts off out of focus and gradually sharpens. Zecca on the other hand seems to have been the first director to use a dissolve to show a smooth transition between dream and reality.
References
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