Reviews of silent film releases on home video. Copyright © 1999-2026 by Carl Bennett and the Silent Era Company. All Rights Reserved.

Fantômas (1913-1914)

Louis Feuillade’s crime serial stars René Navarre as Fantômas, with Edmond Bréon, Georges Melchior, Renée Carl, Jane Faber and Yvette Andréyor supporting.

Originally released in France in three parts, the serial was released in the USA in five parts.

This Blu-ray Disc edition of the French crime serial has been mastered from a 4K high-definition natural-speed scan of excellent 35mm print materials that were restored in 1998 by Gaumont, La Centre National du Cinéma et de l’image animée, and La Cinématheque française. The scan has been digitally stabilized and cleaned of nearly all instances of dust, speckling and emulsion damage. Some viewers won’t notice it, but, here is a slight amount of strobing to quick actor movements that is likely the result of a lower hand-cranked camera frame rate of approximately 16-18 frames per second as compared to the motorized, sound film 24 fps rate established in the late 1920s. If you have friends who still think silent films all looked like those horribly dupey, substandard reduction prints, show them this disc!

The serial is accompanied by a music score performed by a large orchestra that is likely to be the same as has appeared on all of the home video editions noted here.

Supplemental material includes two audio commentary tracks by David Kalat (parts one and two); two Feuillade shorts, The Nativity (1910) and The Dwarf (1912); the documentary Louis Feuillade: Master of Many Forms (10 minutes), and a stills gallery.

This is our highly recommended home video edition of the serial for North American collectors. A true viewing pleasure.

This Region A Blu-ray Disc edition is available directly from . . .

The serial is accompanied by a music score.

Supplemental material includes audio commentaries on “In the Shadow of the Guillotine” and “Juve vs Fantômas” by film historian David Kalat; and “Who is Fantomas?” a video analysis of the series by author and film historian Kim Newman.

This is our recommended home video edition of the serial for European collectors. North American collectors will need a region-free Blu-ray Disc player to view this edition.

This Region B Blu-ray Disc edition is available directly from . . .

This DVD edition of the French crime serial has been mastered from a 4K high-definition scan of very-good to excellent 35mm print materials that were restored in 1998 by Gaumont, La Centre National du Cinéma et de l’image animée, and La Cinématheque française. There is dust, a significant amount of speckling, schmutz, emulsion chipping, and other print flaws remaining in the picture.

The serial is accompanied by a soundtrack apparently cobbled-together from music library sources, including recordings by a large orchestra (and/or an orchestral emulator), synthesizers, with a smidgen of French 78rpm music recordings and the occasional sound effect, that is likely to be the same as has appeared on all of the home video editions noted here. Distressingly, the music is at times appropriate only for a sixties romantic comedy and is abruptly-edited together to fit the film’s action. Frankensteinian, at best.

Supplemental material includes two audio commentary tracks by David Kalat (episodes one and two); two Feuillade shorts, The Nativity (1910) and The Dwarf (1912); the featurette “Louis Feuillade: Master of Many Forms” (10 minutes); and a stills gallery.

This is our recommended DVD home video edition of the film.

This review was updated in 2026.

This Region 1 NTSC DVD edition is available directly from . . .

The serial is accompanied by a soundtrack apparently cobbled-together from music library sources, including recordings by a large orchestra (and/or an orchestral emulator), synthesizers, with a smidgen of French 78rpm music recordings and the occasional sound effect, that is likely to be the same as has appeared on all of the home video editions noted here. Distressingly, the music is at times appropriate only for a sixties romantic comedy and is abruptly-edited together to fit the film’s action. Frankensteinian, at best.

Supplemental material includes “Who is Fantomas?” a video analysis of the series by author and film historian Kim Newman (23 minutes); and a Feuillade biography (4 images).

North American collectors will need a region-free PAL DVD player capable of outputting an NTSC-compatible signal to view this edition.

This review was updated in 2026.

This Region 2 PAL DVD edition has been discontinued and is . . .

The serial is likely to be accompanied by a music score performed by a large orchestra that is the same as has appeared on all of the home video editions noted here.

Supplemental material includes “Who is Fantomas?” a video analysis of the series by author and film historian Kim Newman (23 minutes); and a Feuillade biography (4 images).

North American collectors will need a region-free PAL DVD player capable of outputting an NTSC-compatible signal to view this edition.

This Region 2 PAL DVD edition has been discontinued and is . . .

The serial is likely to be accompanied by a music score performed by a large orchestra that is the same as has appeared on all of the home video editions noted here.

North American collectors will need a region-free PAL DVD player capable of outputting an NTSC-compatible signal to view this edition.

This Region 2 PAL DVD edition has been discontinued and is . . .

Other SERIAL FILMS of the silent era available on home video.