99. CAMILLE (1936)

Running Time: 109 minutes
Directed By: George Cukor
Written By: Zoe Akins, from the novel and play La Dame aux camelias by Alexandre Dumas fils
Main Cast: Greta Garbo, Robert Taylor, Lionel Barrymore, Henry Daniell

NEVER HAVE I EXPERIENCED SO MUCH BOREDOM...YET SO MUCH SADNESS, ALL IN TWO HOURS

I know I promised this review to be delivered about twenty-four hours ago, but due to a horendous cold, that is currently taking it's toll on me, I didn't get here until just now. I was, however, at least able to watch "Camille" and while it was one of the more boring movies, I've ever had the displeasure of sitting through, I'll admit that some scenes were quite heartbreaking.

Greta Garbo plays Marguerite Gautier, nicknamed Camille, due to her love of the camellia flower. One evening, while attending the opera with a few acquaintances, she spots a young man, who she mistakes for the Baron de Varville. She invites him up to her opera box and they seem to hit it off quite nicely. When she asks the "Baron" to go get her some sweets, he exits and the real Baron de Varville arrives at her box, removing her from it and taking her upon his arm. The man who went to get the sweets, Armand Duval, returns with sweets, but without a sweet to give them to, only finding her misplaced handkerchief, picking it up and leaving. Several months go by and Marguerite is happy being taken care of by the Baron. He's rich and can afford to buy her anything she wants, and he does and she accepts. During an auction, where Marguerite purchases some horses, she runs into Armand once more and they share a laugh about the night, that she mistook him for the Baron at the opera. He returns her handkerchief and she invites him to her birthday party, scheduled for the following night.

While at the birthday party, in which the Baron cannot attend, due to being out of town, Armand and Marguerite find themselves taking seclusion from the rest of the party and chatting it up, in a most romantic fashion. Marguerite tells him to go and get rid of the rest of the party and then return later, so that they can presumably make love. She gives him a key and sends him off for the time being. After everyone has gone and while Marguerite's maid prepares a late supper for the two romantics, the Baron shows back up unexpectedly, dashing all the plans that Marguerite had with Armand. After a while, the two meet up once again and Armand persuades Marguerite to go to the country with him, as he loves her and has always loved her, ever since that evening in the opera box. Marguerite exclaims her love for Armand as well, but has qualms about leaving the Baron. Armand eventually persuades her and the two move together to the country and it's love fest in the nineteenth century.

As you could probably tell from the headline that preceeded this post, I was quite bored during this film. Now, with that being said, I will say this: This may have been one of the greatest love stories I've ever seen put to film. This movie did a great job of producing the amount of passion between these two characters, Marguerite and Armand, needed to make everything work. However, I'm not a real big sucker for a sappy love story, but on the other hand this one really showed me the effect that a love story really can have on a viewer and turn a bored customer, into a nearly weepy one. The final scene of the movie, is absolutely and utterly heart wrenching, and if I wasn't already nursing a runny nose and watery eyes, I'm sure I would've been anyway. Greta Garbo, in my opinion, is noting to write home about and honestly I don't get the appeal and accolades that everyone showers her with. She's an average actress at best and honestly, I can name a dozen actresses from that era, who were much better than her, right off the top of my head. Robert Taylor, however, did a fine job and the two did mesh well together, to produce a really genuine, heartfelt love story.

RATING: 4/10 Boredom mixed with sadness and this is what I come up with for a rating and honestly, I think it's being a bit generous, considering I was bored more than anything.

NEXT UP: Sabotage...More Alfred Hitchcock. I have this one in the other room on an Alfred Hitchcock DVD collection, and I plan on popping it in right after I post this, so (hopefully) I'll be right back with that review.

February 12, 2010 12:26pm