Max Takes a Bath (1911)

Interesting facts

Max Takes a Bath, also known by the title By the Doctor's Orders, is a French silent film directed by Lucien Nonguet and produced by the Pathé Frères company in 1910. This film, approximately seven minutes long, popularized many trends in French cinema, such as the vertical vantage point. Max Takes a Bath also marks the start of the actor Max Linder's popularity; Max Linder was one of the earliest film stars, and is widely credited for his effect on comedy.

Production

In this film, Lucien Nonguet uses two optical effects one being a vertical vantage point for the scenes where the bathtub and people are moving up and down a wall, and the other being a close-up of Max's face. The close-up happened first when Max was taking his bath in the hallway and the camera is up close to Max to the point where the audience could only see Max's face.

This time period began the Modernism of previously established fashion trends. Department stores and shopping centers began catering to men's potential as consumers. Men during this time period began experimenting more with clothing and finding their own style.

Max Takes a Bath's costume design follows French male fashion trends of the time. Hats and suits were widely worn by people who could afford them. In the film, Max wears a top hat, even during chase scenes; its silky material is representative of Max's upper-class status. Due to wearing high-rise trousers characteristic of the setting, Max's Morning Coat is only tall enough to cover his waistband.

Max Takes a Bath was shot at Pathé Studios using several sets. At the start of the film, Max receives his diagnosis from the doctor in his office. The majority of the film takes place in the hallway of Max's apartment (he is forced to bathe in the hallway due to not having any water spouts in his room.) The scene is shot facing the side of the bathtub, which allows the audience to see a staircase.

In this time period, silent films were a unique art form of storytelling that was encapsulated by the elaborate form of silent film acting that required actors to convey exaggerated physical gestures and to convey complex emotions and narratives without the usage of dialogue. With limited intertitles, it was important for actors to portray the wide range of emotions through excessive facial expressions and body language.

Read on Wikipedia · Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Data from Wikidata.