Histoire d'un crime

1901
5m

IMDb RATING

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A burglar is arrested for a murder. He is condemned to death. Before his execution the murderer dreams of his past, of how he was a bank clerk, then turned to crime. The criminal is then tak... Read allA burglar is arrested for a murder. He is condemned to death. Before his execution the murderer dreams of his past, of how he was a bank clerk, then turned to crime. The criminal is then taken out of his cell, and a moment later is executed.A burglar is arrested for a murder. He is condemned to death. Before his execution the murderer dreams of his past, of how he was a bank clerk, then turned to crime. The criminal is then taken out of his cell, and a moment later is executed.

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IMDb RATING

6.1/10

833

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See production info at IMDbPro

Top cast3

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Jean Liézer

Bretteau

Ferdinand Zecca

Director
- Ferdinand Zecca
Writer
- Ferdinand Zecca
All cast & crew
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User reviews6

Featured review

Zecca's Historical Landmark

This film was French directer Ferdinand Zecca's first true masterpiece. It is a very impressive film for 1901 for several reasons. First of all, it was made before Méliès's "A Trip to the Moon" which is considered one of the most important early films because of its length and story-telling. However, "History of a Crime" is proof that before Méliès's film other filmmakers were also trying to make films with a plot. While the plot here is simple, it is told in seven different scenes and there is some gore and violence too!

The story here is about a man murdering a guy and robbing his safe. He's caught though and condemned to death. The highlight in the whole film is the jail cell scene because here we actually get some background about the robber's past. The ending where the man's head is chopped off via guillotine has some interest. Supposedly, I've read that they'd stop playing the film and let all the women and children out of the theater before the guy's head came off!

Extremely ground-breaking for 1901. Anyone interested in the history of movies should see it.

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Trivia
An early example of film censorship: Police authorities compelled Zecca to remove certain shots, such as the finale in which the execution of the killer is shown.

Goofs
When the criminal, who has been condemned to die, is brought to the guillotine, a door is opened and two files of soldiers are seen lining the way to the guillotine. In the next shot, the prisoner is placed on the guillotine. However, this time the guillotine is much closer to the doorway than in the previous shot.