M-G-M tossed writers and cash with abandon at this Greta Garbo vehicle, trying to get it into shape. But no one could fix the story structure as Charles Boyer’s Napoleon Bonaparte and Garbo’s Polish mistress Marie Walewska conduct a love affair in the downtime between war campaigns. (So many ‘Two Years Later’ title cards!) Clarence Brown directs a vigorous Attack of the Cossacks opening, but soon turns quiescent as Marie alternates between love & hate watching Nappy tumble from liberator to tyrant. You can see the possibilities, but the film either skimps or skips past action to chart anguished sighs and witless wordplay. (Reginald Owen as Tallyrand getting the worst of it.) Yet the film rewards in other ways, mainly for Boyer, a perfect match as Napoleon. So good, you wonder why this guy looks so much like Charles Boyer! And what an unusually good/subtle job of aging for a 1930s pic: sunken eyes, vest tugging like an overstuffed sausage, thickened voice. Garbo must have noticed too since she presses, an unheard of tactic for her. She holds her own fascination anyway, particularly in a rare chance to see her thru the eyes of a cinematographer other than William Daniels, German UFA legend Karl Freund. Under Karl’s eye, Garbo looks considerably older, more sculpted, possibly even more magnificent. But the film, Garbo's one major flop, is no match for these two.
DOUBLE-BILL: Garbo’s previous two (Brown’s ANNA KARENINA/’35; Cukor’s CAMILLE/’36) and her next (Lubitsch’s NINOTCHKA/’39) all great, all big hits.
SCREWY THOUGHT OF THE DAY: As M-G-M’s most distinguished player, Greta Garbo usually got M-G-M’s most distinguished composer, Herbert Stothart. A pity since he was undoubtedly the least gifted of Hollywood’s major musical players. And tended to save his worst for Garbo. His ‘original’ theme for CAMILLE sounds exactly like ‘Making Whoopee’ played at half speed. Here, when not quoting Tchaikovsky, he’s merely unmemorable.
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