| The Little Match Girl | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Jean Renoir |
| Written by | Hans Christian Andersen Jean Renoir |
| Starring | Catherine Hessling Eric Barclay |
| Cinematography | Jean Bachelet |
| Release date |
|
| Running time | 34 minutes |
| Country | France |
| Languages | Silent film French intertitles |
The Little Match Girl (French: La petite marchande d'allumettes) is a 1928 French drama featurette film directed by Jean Renoir and starring Catherine Hessling.
Plot
A young woman stands on a corner on New Year's Eve, trying to sell matchsticks. She is ignored by most passers by, except a young man who nearly approaches her before being called to a table in a restaurant. She doesn't notice the man until he is inside, eating. She gazes longingly at his food. A group of children pelt her with snowballs.
A policeman passes by and admonishes her for being outside with poor shoes. Rather than go home empty-handed, the girl crouches in a corner for warmth. Soon, she begins to hallucinate, imagining herself stepping into the toy display in the window next to her. She envisions herself and the young man from the diner being pursued through the toyland by a pirate embodying death. Eventually, he catches them both. The young woman dies in her vision and is draped on a hilltop near a cross. White flower petals fall on her face.
The film shifts back to reality and we see that the flower petals are really snow. An old woman finds her dead body in the snow.
The film is based on the 1845 short story of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen.
Cast
- Catherine Hessling as Karen
- Amy Wells as Pop
- Jean Storm as Lieutenant Axel Ott
- Manuel Raaby as Politieagent
See also
References
- "La Petite Marchande d'allumettes". arte.tv (in French). Arte. 10 December 2007. Archived from the original on 14 December 2014. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
External links
| Jean Renoir | |
|---|---|
| Silent films |
|
| Sound films |
|
| Related | |
| Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Match Girl" (1845) | |
|---|---|
| Films | |
| Short stories | |
| Other | |
 | This article related to a French film of the 1920s is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it. |
 | This article about a short silent drama film is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it. |
- 1928 films
- 1920s Christmas drama films
- Films based on The Little Match Girl
- Films directed by Jean Renoir
- French Christmas drama films
- French silent feature films
- 1920s French-language films
- Films set around New Year
- French black-and-white films
- Featurettes
- 1928 drama films
- Silent drama films
- 1920s French films
- 1920s French film stubs
- Short silent drama film stubs