Tag Archive

Director: Émile Cohl
Release Date: February 19, 1910
Rating: ★★
Review:

In ‘Le Binetoscope’ a clown presents some kind of apparatus that absorbs something from the audience and puts it on the screen.

This idea is an excuse for some animation, first shown on a screen behind the (live action) clown, but after two minutes filling the complete movie screen. In this sequence Cohl uses his metamorphosis technique on faces. He even changes a complete alphabet into faces. Then the clown returns to take a bow.

Cohl’s metamorphosis technique remains always interesting to watch, and it’s clever how he uses pen animation and cut-out together in this film, but his pictures in ‘Le Binettoscope’ aren’t too remarkable, and pale when compared to some of his 1909 films like ‘Les générations comiques‘ or ‘Les transfigurations‘.

Watch ‘Le Binetoscope’ yourself and tell me what you think:

‘Le Binetoscope’ is available on the DVDs ‘Émile Cohl – L’agitateur aux mille images’