Camille
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Movie Reviews of Camille
Movie Review: My all-time favorite movie. 500 stars!
Summary: 5 Stars
Garbo is my favorite actress and CAMILLE is my favorite film. If you have to point to only one film that captured the essence of what her career is about, and the range of her talent, the unique mix of intelligence, irony, pathos, flirtation and unvarnished wrenching emotion, this is the film (closely followed by ANNA KARENINA).
A Garbo film presents us with a woman with "an unpleasant past," a new love that changes her, a passion of operatic proportions, a grand self sacrifice, and the expected outcome of such unbridled passion in this time period.
Based on the classic story by Dumas (based on the life of a real "courtesan"), this story begins with superficial beauty and the social games at the opera, a mistaken identity that sparks the love of a lifetime. The costumes are beautiful, Garbo is playful and pouty, and her illness progresses throughout the film.
Young, almost too pretty Robert Taylor plays her mannered young paramour, in the role that confirmed his stardom. The supporting players all fit the bill(Aunt Pittypat from GONE WITH THE WIND plays the exact same character here, to fine effect.) Over the years, I recognize that Jesse Ralph, the older character actress who plays her maid Nanine, gives a really marvelous supporting performance, almost always present, it is the definition of a truly supporting performance.
How do you describe your great love? This is my favorite film, and how can I do it justice. To many this will be too much emotion on the sleeve, too heavy handed, but for it's time period it was simply brilliant, and the script remains witty and layered and resonant today for anyone who understands self sacrifice. "[I must] make my love hate me, make my love hate me."
This wonderful DVD version also includes the Nazimova/Valentino silent version of Camille that is frequently referred to in books and on film for it's art direction. It is set in high deco 1920s style on mostly closed in theatrical sets that are stylish, unsettling and memorable. Also stylish, unsettling and memorable (for all the wrong reasons) is Nazimova's hair! And her acting! While the director is clearly poking fun at the posey, pouty game playing of the era, hers is high-silent acting style - grasping her brests in horror, etc. Contrasted here with Valentino who is much more natural. It is a history lesson in acting styles, because this was the day when, on stage, actors used standard poses to indicate emotions.... Nazimova learned the book!
A simply MUST HAVE for any film lover.
Movie Review: Greta Garbo's finest performance and movie
Summary: 5 Stars
Customers buying the Greta Garbo CAMILLE, either in the GARBO boxed set or alone, are in for a treat-the 1921 silent version, starring Alla Nazimova and Rudolph Valentino, as a lovely bonus. And it IS lovely. Running 70 minutes, it is Alexandre Dumas' tragic love triangle updated to Jazz Age Paris with Nazimova as Camille and Valentino as Armand, her poor but romantic suitor. The script is by June Mathis and the beautiful settings are by Natasha Rambova, friend/lover to Valentino.
But the real gem in this single disk is the George Cukor-directed CAMILLE (1936, MGM), starring Garbo at her very best as Camille, the consumptive courtesan in 1847 Paris. She is romantically torn between poor but sweet Armand (Robert Taylor) and the wealthy but unpleasant Baron de Varville (Henry Daniell at his nastiest). All three actors are in peak form and make this a dynamic love triangle, but could not do it without brilliant writing and direction.
And, of course, no studio in Hollywood could match MGM for opulent production design-the wealthy salons and fancy balls. Laura Hope Crews, Aunt Pittypat in GONE WITH THE WIND (1939), looks like she is having fun smoking cigars and hiking up her fancy dress. And Lionel Barrymore, as Armand's father, has one of his last roles before crippling arthritis forced him into a wheelchair. This CAMILLE is a movie masterpiece that may have Garbo's finest performance. She deserved her Oscar nomination (and probably should have won) and received the prestigious New York Film Critics Award for Best Actress.
As icing on the DVD cake, CAMILLE comes with a theatrical trailer for the 1936 version and a "Leo is On the Air" radio promo. This is a worthy addition to your DVD collection, either alone or as part of the huge and fabulous GARBO Signature Collection.
Movie Review: Buy this for Taylor/Garbo - - LOVE this for Nazimova/Valentino!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I have always adored the pairing of the young and Dashing Robert Taylor and the mature appealing Greta Garbo. The death scene is tragic and their love encounters are sweet and ring true. The movie seemed one of those timeless unequaled classics BUT peak into the special features and click into the "modern" Camille as it was advertised in the 20s and suddenly . . . it's a kinda magic! The silence speaks louder than the voices and the innocent blushing of the early romance between Armand and Marguerite becomes electrifying. Nazimova is striking as the ill-fated character. The mis-en-scene is extraordinary with the art deco sets and glimmering costumes. Valentino brings out the sparkle of what made him the angry romantic that he was. My only complaint is the orchestration to this silent feature which left gaps without real dramatic purpose. There was silence when there should have been trumpets and cymbals and piano harmonies. Anyway, it doesn't distract too much from the film. A treasure within a gem. Thanks Warner Brothers for this fantastic release!Movie Review: Whre are they now?
Summary: 5 Stars
You would have to see Verdi's rendition of this Dumas novel in order to go this film one better. A famous movie director who shall remain nameless once said - and I paraphrase -, "supposing we give Gone With the Wind again..who do we have these days to play Rhette Butler - or Ashley, or Melanie, or any other part in this impeccable production for that matter? Fact is every time a story has been refilmed it's been a bomb artistically. Take for instance Victor Hugo's The Haunchback of Notre Dame, Phantom of the Opera, The Count of Monte Cristo, ad infinitum. And who will play in a new Camille more courtesan-like than Greta Garbo or more noble and handsome than Robert Taylor? This allegedly true story of a courtesan who died of consumption and whose grave in Paris is visited by thousands yearly, deserves this cast to - along with Verdi's opera La Traviata ensure Dumas' immortality!Movie Review: The goddess Greta in her most reminded character on screen!
Summary: 5 Stars
Once you have entered into the dramatis personae of this unequalled tragic character you will hardly forget her. Because every time Greta Garbo - the eternal screen goddess - makes her appearance, you will immediately evoke all the romantic mood in this lavish and dazzling adaptation; from the exquisite inspiration of Dumas around the final days of a dying woman.
Jean Epstein affirmed in certain opportunity the cinema was eminently a magic stage of physic nature, but you must have totally convinced at the moment to decide to get into the dreams' factory. And please try to watch it without interruptions with the lights turned off, in order to reproduce the essential features of a true cinema. Otherwise the magic simply will not happen.
A cult movie of 1936 directed by George Cukor.