The Secret Of Magic Island (EOTWS)

End Of The Week Shorts #19 extract: The Secret Of Magic Island (1957)



I came across this strange film when reading an André Bazin essay that attempts to explore "The Virtues and Limitations of Montage". Bazin uses this film as an example of montage in the children's film genre, noting it as a movie that, though it is impressively and meticulously designed, is faulted for its contrivance stemmed form the use of montage (editing). To understand what Bazin was talking about, I decided to watch this movie - the only version being in French. 
This is strangely amusing and a very surreal kind of fantasy through which Tourane creates the illusion of dogs, mice, birds and foxes living and interacting on a magical island. This is done through a very clear trick of cinema that, as Bazin suggests, does act as a wall which holds off believability. Nonetheless, despite not understanding what on earth was going on, this film intermittently captivated me. 
So, I wouldn't recommend (or maybe I should) you watch this on drugs as it is quite trippy. Soberly watched, however, The Secret of Magic Island is maybe worth it in accompaniment to the Bazin essay.

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