Rembrandt
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Movie Reviews of Rembrandt
Movie Review: A high point in early British cinema
Summary: 5 Stars
This film is an outstanding item among Alexander Korda's almost single-handed efforts beginning in the 1930s to transform British cinema from an industry dominated by worthless "quota quickies" to a first-class competitor in world cinema. Korda had a prominent hand in such great classics as The Private Life of Henry VIII, The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Four Feathers, The Thief of Baghdad, and many others; this level of greatness is akin, for example, to what a company like Pixar is doing with animation in movies such as Toy Story today. The best of the Korda films are nothing if not imperishable classics. And Rembrandt ranks right at the top among them. The power of the film lies primarily in Mr. Laughton's priceless performance, which is a great waggish role and yet is remarkably subtle in both gently comic and touchingly tragic ways. The exchanges with Roger Livesey as "beggar Saul," with Elsa Lanchester as Hendrickje Stoffels, and with the worthies who stirred up scandal after Rembrandt used a commission to portray them in a less than idealized light, are lively parts of the spirited whole that this film represents. And, though the film has sad elements, the overriding portrayal is of an indomitable spirit who, in his eccentric way, triumphs over adversity and mediocrity to leave a cherished legacy of his artistry for the world. Truly, this is one of the greats among films, and certainly among biographical ones. Viewers will love this film for the depth of its powerful central characterization surrounded by outstanding talents in all departments. Highly recommended.Movie Review: Rembrandt
Summary: 5 Stars
This DVD is a real classic in movie history and the brilliance of Charles Laughton's acting ability.Movie Review: My boy Charlie!
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a man that could act his kiester off, Charles Laughton. He, and his wife, Elsa Lanchester, were a much more accessable version of people like Lunt and Fontaine, for Laughton's talents were obvious in every role he ever had. Don't believe me? Rent this and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame", or the lighthearted "Canterville Ghost". He had a "mischievious little boy" way about him when he acted; a way of cocking his head and hedging that made you remember him as a grown-up version of little Johnny asking for more pennies to get candy. In this movie, about the legendary, edge-of-the-Renaissance painter, Rembrandt Van Rijn, his wife, Elsa, also shines as his latter-day love interest: very gentle, optimistic and almost perky. Most players in this film are good, though I feel Gertrude Lawrence overdoes it a bit, and in typical 30s Hollywood style. It's an MGM production, so I suppose overacting had to be in there SOMEWHERE, but her reading gets tiresome after awhile.
The script is full of bon mots, such as Van Rijn's short discourse of "knowing all women when you know just one..." speech, and his dressing down of the Amsterdam hoi-polloi when his masterpiece, "The Night Watch" is vainly slammed and picked apart on its first showing, but it is also good at pathos, as his beloved first wife dies and he also loses his later love, played by Lanchester.
I wish I could laud the condition of the transfer as highly, but alas, this has to be THE worst transfered DVD I have...! The highlights are WAY too bright, there are scratches and hair ghosts all through the thing, and we are cheated out of a first rate, saltine crisp print of one of Hollywood's best classic biographical films, and except for a longish movie-house trailer, there are ZERO extras in this thing. Shameful! Anyway, if you must get a copy of this film, find someone OTHER than MGM, for this transfer, plus the lack of extras, makes it less than an ideal buy! By all means, if you can find a better print transfer....BUY IT!
Movie Review: Definitely worth renting!
Summary: 4 Stars
The DVD comes with the movie and trailer and that's it. Heck, you can't even put on English subtitles, which I like to do with old films in case I can't quite make out what they're saying. Also the transfer to DVD is not all that meticulous ... there's a couple of scene changes that are so abrupt that it feels like something's been cut out.
I don't know anything about the real Rembrandt's life, so I don't know how much of this movie is true, other than the fact that he was a painter. So, 1 star right away for piquing my curiosity and spurring me on to find out more about the real Rembrandt!
Charles Laughton, as always, is great. Early on in the movie he gave a truly moving speech about love (this was shortly before his first wife dies), about how loving her was the equivalent of loving every woman on earth. I can't do the speech justice (short term memory problems), but I do remember it was moving and I will have to search the internet to see if I can find a transcript of that speech! Charles is great throughout the whole movie.
The sparkling highlight comes about 50 minutes into the movie when Elsa Lanchester first appears. My God, this woman was so charismatic! I wish she had made more films and had bigger roles in movies. Elsa is only in the movie for about 25 minutes, and after her character departs I wanted to turn the movie off. If anyone but Charles Laughton was in the lead, I definitely would've stopped watching at that point.
OK, so this will probably get more no votes than yes votes in the "was this review helpful?" category! Sorry!
Bottom-lining it: Good movie, good story, great acting, Charles Laughton excellent, Elsa Lanchester sparkling and captivating! Crappy transfer to DVD. Worth the price of a rental, not sure (at least for me) that it's worth the price of purchasing.
Movie Review: A subtle & humane portrait
Summary: 4 Stars
I discovered this film completely by accident, picking it up at a sale for just a couple of dollars ... but after seeing it, I would gladly have paid full price for it. What an unexpected pleasure! It's more about Rembrandt the man than the artist, in that it explores his personality & crucial events in his life, but it does feature a fascinating look at his famous "The Night Watch" & the initial reaction to it.
The film is a bit episodic, without a strong narrative arc, which may not make it as appealing to some viewers. But the real reason to see it is for Charles Laughton's superb performance, which is subdued and nuanced. Yes, he explodes once or twice, as only Laughton could -- but for the most part, he conveys a wealth of feeling with an understated shift of expression or body language.
The look of the film is beautiful, in the elegant way that only an older film can be, with its deeply textured black & white photography. And it touches both on philosophy, as in Rembrandt's impassioned words on Woman, as well as some familiar issues which never go out of style: Art vs. Commerce, Public Approval vs. Personal Integrity.
If you're not that familiar with this older style of filmmaking, you might have to make some adjustments. But I think you'll find it well worth seeing, and come away with a deeper understanding of one of the world's great artists. Remarkable & recommended!
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