Science Is Fiction: 23 Films by Jean Painlevé

A pioneer in nature and wildlife films, Jean Painlevé (1902-89) was devoted to promoting science through cinema and fiercely committed to using film as a means of personal artistic expression (Painlevé was heavily influenced by the Surrealist movement that emerged in Paris during the early 1920s). Using innovative underwater camera housings of his own design, the Sorbonne-trained scientist-filmmaker-inventor focused on strange sea creatures, including seahorses, sea urchins, octopuses, liquid crystals, and floating diatoms, in addition to a handful of land-based subjects, such as pigeons and the evil-looking Brazilian vampire bat (in 1945's The Vampire, which likened the blood-sucking bats to the Nazis who occupied France during World War II). Surely one of the most unusual titles in the prestigious Criterion Collection, Science Is Fiction compiles 23 of Painlevé's films across two discs. Without compromising scientific accuracy, Painlevé infused his works (sporting well-written voiceover narrations) with a combination of childlike curiosity, touch of satire, and biologist's attention to form, function, and lifecycles. Making films for both academic study and public entertainment, Painlevé created nearly 200 works altogether over the course of several decades, with this compilation offering a representative “greatest hits” sampling of his cinematic legacy. The first disc features 13 titles, including “The Sounds of Science,” an eight-film selection boasting an all-new original score by rock band Yo La Tengo (whose members appear in a separate interview featurette), while the second disc continues with an additional 10 films (including early silent films). A third disc presents the entire eight-part 1988 French TV series Jean Painlevé Through His Films. Film scholar Scott MacDonald provides an insightful essay on Painlevé in a lavishly illustrated booklet accompanying the set. A scientifically and artistically significant collection, Science Is Fiction is highly recommended. (J. Shannon)