L'antique Tolède (1912) User Reviews

Not among the director's more thrilling works.

[planktonrules · 5/10 · 14 February 2014]

In the beginning and at the end of his career, director Segundo de Chomón made quite a few documentary-style films showing various sites in Spain--especially in the region of Castille. In between, he made a ton of fantasy films for the Pathé company--and many of them were based on techniques originated by the great Georges Méliès. The difference between the two styles is dramatic.

"L'Antique Tolède" is one of these documentary pieces set in the middle of his native country nowhere near Castille. In this silent film, you see lots of views of the town as well as quite a bit of it that seemed to be in ruins--and I have no idea how much all of this looks like Toledo today. It's all mildly interesting but also a tad boring due to its composition (though he did use a moving camera occasionally) unless you are a historian wanting to take a peak at the city a little over a hundred years ago.

As the Title

[boblipton · 4/10 · 20 May 2010]

Segundo de Chomon was one of the more innovative directors that Pathe had, first in doing movies that imitated and then drove Melies out of business, then in working in the newly established film grammar. His career flourished through about 1918, during which time his output ranged from minute-long trick films to fully evolved features. Effectively, he outlasted almost all of his contemporaries; even after his directorial career ended he still had a lively afterlife as a cinematographer until a year before his death.

This movie, however, is not groundbreaking. It is simply a compilation of views of Toledo, but fascinating ones, nonetheless, showing bridges, walls and other architectural highlights that appear to date from as early as the 8th century. Still, if you're at all interested in these sights and can't get to Toledo yourself....

Late Chomón Travelogue

[Tornado_Sam · 27 June 2019]

"L'Antique Tolède" was one of the few short films by Segundo de Chomón produced by the short-lived and little-known Iberico Films company founded by the director. By 1912, Chomón had fully ended his career in creating trick films for Pathé and bringing the shorts and ideas of Méliès up-to-date, and was now bringing back an old pastime of his: cinematography. Many of his films from 1912 (with the exceptions of "Superstition Andalouse", "Metamorphoses" and "Iris Fantastique") mainly consisted of travelogues of cities in Spain, such as Girona, lots of Barcelona and here, Toledo. (Curiously, as another reviewer has pointed out, Chomón was also responsible for quite a few one-shot documentations of Spain at the beginning of his career). He had been trained in nothing else other than cinematography and trick films, and the latter being a long outdated fad he now had to resort to the former.

"L'Antique Tolède" was, I believe, distributed by Pathé--due to the company's insignia which is the cock which appears at the end of the film. It shows many scenes of old Toledo--ones which were historic now and then, unlike the other travelogues the director produced--such as lots of old buildings, a bridge, wood architecture and many other sites. Despite the fact the director was a very good cinematographer, he here does not take a lot of advantage of that and keeps most of the shots stationary, including just a few pans in the mix. Also, for the most part little action occurs in frame and makes the film come across sort of like a set of photographs, grainy views at that which may have been shot on a lower quality form of filmstock due to a small company budget. Historically interesting and containing some fascinating views, but not particularly interesting for the casual modern viewer.