Set atop a rocky outcrop in Provence, 22 kilometers from Arles, Les Baux-de-Provence is one of the most bewitching villages in France. There are three primary reasons for this fascination : the rugged majesty of its position in the heart of a desolate but impressive mountain region, the mineral beauty of its ruins (whether the castle, the chapel, the walls or the dwelling places) and the memory of its half glorious half troubled past which seems engraved in any of its stones (the power of the Lords of Baux, the Courts of Love, the revolt of the local Protestants against Cardinal Richelieu). Jacques de Casembroot, a gifted documentary maker, has understood that there is more to filming Les Baux-de-Provence than just what meets the eye. Of course, he offers the viewer a traditional visit of the mythic place in the daytime (with a precious advantage : there is no other tourist in sight !), but he also complements it with a walk through the village in the dead of night after all the "intruders" are gone. A time when, as he imagines, the ghosts of the past resurface... A rather stressful stroll accompanied by the voices of the people past, lit by the Lantern of the Dead (which was lit when a villager died) and by other mysterious lights coming from the uninhabited houses... This welcome touch of fantasy makes "La lanterne des morts" an unusual documentary, further enhanced by Marcel Landowski's somber score, by Roger Dormoy's apt Black and White photography and by an intriguing commentary voiced by the haunting Varavara Pitoëff. A worthwhile, too seldom seen effort.
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