The 400 Tricks of the Devil (1906)
- Original title
- Les quatre cents farces du diable
- Directed by
- Georges Méliès
- Genre
- drama film, horror film, fantasy film, silent film
- Country
- France
- Runtime
- 17 min
- Rating
- 6.5 of 10 from 64 voters
- Elsewhere
- IMDb
The catalogue in 3D
The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.
How it feels
An ambitious engineer makes a deal with the Devil for superhuman powers. He abandons his family and must face unexpected consequences, including a wild ride through the sky.
comedicfantasticalfast-pacedplayfulwhimsicalspookytheatricalspectacular
What happens
The Merry Frolics of Satan (French: Les Quat'Cents Farces du diable, literally The Four Hundred Tricks of the Devil) is a 1906 French silent trick film by Georges Méliès. The film is an updated comedic adaptation of the Faust legend, borrowing elements from two stage féerie spectaculars: Les Pilules du diable (1839), a classic stage fantasy with knockabout comedy, and Les Quatre Cents Coups du diable (1905), a satirical update of Les Pilules du diable to which Méliès had contributed two sequences, one of which he incorporated into the present film. In addition to directing and acting in it, Méliès supervised all aspects of the film's design and trick effect work, including extensive use of stage machinery, in his lavishly individual style, which was already unusual in the mass production-dominated French film industry. The film follows the adventures of an ambitious engineer who abandons his family and responsibilities when he barters with the Devil (played by Méliès himself) for superhuman powers. The engineer is forced to face the unexpected consequences of his barter, including a dizzying ride through the sky. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)
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The Monster (1903)- More like this film, on a shelf you can walk up to.It's the lit case on the top shelf.