Fantômas (1964) (2 DVD)

Fantomas, the mysterious arch criminal who holds Paris in the grip of terror, was first brought to the screen in this legendary serial by celebrated French cinema pioneer Louis Feuillade. The creation of authors Marcel Allain and Pierre Souvestre, Fantomas perpetrated the most appalling crimes in 32 hugely popular pulp novels and became a cult favourite of the avante garde, including the painters Rene Magritte and Salvador Dali.

Feuillade's serial was one of cinema's earliest and most strikingly original crime dramas, starring Rene Navarre as Fantomas, the master of disguise and leader of a vast army of street thugs, and Edmond Breon as his nemesis, Inspector Juve. Beautifully restored by Gaumont and the Cinematheque Francaise, the five episodes of Fantomas are among the most fascinating and enthralling silent films ever made.