A lot of this film is just close ups of Catherine Hessling looking shocked
Hessling in the famous dream sequence during the thunderstorm
This looks as sexual here as it did in the film, believe me.
From the dream sequence
Worst trouble with an uncle since Hamlet
In this shot from the dream sequence, Renoir plays his film backwards to show his heroine floating up onto a tree limb
La Fille de L'eau, also known by its English title The Whirlpool of Fate, is a relatively obscure 1925 Jean Renoir silent film about a girl who lives on a boat, and then in a shack, and then in a tree, and then in a big ole mansion. It's a dramady in which Gudule, played by Catherine Hessling, is forced to move off of the houseboat she lives on when her father drowns and her evil Uncle, a "brute," sells it in an attempt to squander her inheritance. She has a brief stint as a bohemian and then, after her friend purposely sets the haystack of the town asshole on fire in an act of revenge, is chased out of town by an angry mob and is forced to live in a tree. While she's living in the tree, weak and depressed because she's homeless and is forced to live in a TREE, a huge downgrade from a boat, she attracts the attention of Georges (Harold Lewingston), a rich young man who feels sorry for her. Georges tries to get his rich father to let Gudule live with them, but after being refused he does what he can and brings her food. In the film's most dramatic and breathtaking scene, Gudule falls asleep during a horrible thunderstorm and has a vivid and strange nightmare. In the dream sequence, she does a lot of floating around in a loose white dress, comes face-to-face with her evil uncle and dead father, runs around in a room where the floor and ceiling keep switching, and rides on a horse with Georges (in a fine example of pre-code innuendo). After the storm she is finally taken in by Georges's family, and works for them as a sort of maid. Unfortunately, her creepy uncle has caught up with her and keeps stealing money from her, money that she's getting to buy groceries for Georges's family. For some reason she's too ashamed to tell Georges what's happening, and he feels very hurt when he comes to the conclusion that she's been stealing from him. He decides to go on a conveniently-timed trip to Algeria with his father and leave her behind, but then overhears her being attacked by her uncle. He steps in and literally fights the guy, getting all tousled and flustered, which makes him look 99% hotter, and eventually is able to push the dude into a stream. Guess he's L'homme de l'eau now, eh? Anyway, he and Gudule finally get together and all is well, the end.
This is a pretty interesting early Renoir film, and it's not without its charms and interesting, distinctive cinematography and direction. He puts in some cute little details, like when Gudule puts a megaphone to her mouth, only to pull it away and reveal a goatee made of soot, which serves as an interesting play on traditional gender dynamics. Most of Renoir's fascinating details shine through in the dream sequence, which is a pretty interesting scene that you can see below:
If you get the chance to watch this film somehow, I'd recommend it. Although it definitely helps if you know French, the copy I had contained an option for English subtitles over the French cards. Ultimately it's a silent movie, so as long as you have functioning eyeballs and an attention span of 70-odd minutes, you're in for a treat.
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