Drama · Fantasy
French (La Rivière du hibou)
1961 · Directed by Robert Enrico · 28 min
During the American Civil War, a Southern planter stands on a railway bridge with a rope around his neck, surrounded by soldiers. A near-wordless French adaptation of Ambrose Bierce, it is austere and tense, driven by image and sound rather than speech.
Why it matters in cinema history
A defining short film of the early 1960s, produced in the same French climate as the New Wave, and proof that a short could win major international prizes and reach a wide audience.
Watch with intention
Treat it as pure cinema: let framing, sound and cutting rhythm tell you what dialogue normally would.
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