It's often struck me that for all the rapid development of the cinematic medium that was taking place in the 1910s and 1920s, it's hard not to be astounded sometimes at what feels like a novelty or advanced technique, whether or not some instances were actually achieved before or not. With that said I can only commend filmmaker Jean Epstein, and perhaps more so cinematographers Raoul Aubourdier and Roger Hubert, for some shots and camerawork that definitely feel exceptional for their time. By the time eleven minutes have passed we get close-ups, low angles looking up or high angles looking down, camera movement, people moving into frame from behind the camera, and use of a first-person perspective. To these add sharp and often rapid editing, simple effects, variable focus, and use of lighting and shadow in addition to the framing of a story within a story, and that's to say nothing of detailed sets and costume design, and fine hair and makeup. Just from a standpoint of its craftsmanship one is readily impressed by what 'L'auberge rouge' has to offer, and it's easy to get swept up in the picture.
One might take issue with pacing that's a tad relaxed early on, particularly in light of the framing device, and at the start it seems to me that there are also fewer intertitles on hand (compared to other features) to relate exposition or dialogue. Then again, these concerns quite go away as the length progresses and the plot thickens. Even if they didn't, Honoré de Balzac's short tale is relatively simple, and in adapting it Epstein very suitably conveys the beats through what intertitles we do get, and especially through his firm writing and direction of scenes. Taken together with the excellent editing, cinematography, and other advantages this can claim, the movie is really all that it needs to be - and then some. It may not leave as entirely big a mark as some of Epstein's other works, but the labor that went into 'L'auberge rouge' ranges from good to outstanding, including the acting, and the narrative as it presents is roundly compelling and entertaining, not to mention dark and tragic.
There are surely other films among the director's oeuvre, the silent era, or the medium at large that one should make a higher priority, even for diehard fans of these early years of the industry. Yet this 1923 production is honestly pretty terrific across the board, and it's well worth checking out if one has the opportunity. Movies have come a long way in the past 100 years, but in no way does that diminish the value of what came before, and I rather believe 'L'auberge rouge' is a splendid example of that enduring high quality.