99. Camille (1936)

Directed By George Cukor

Synopsis

A French 19th century courtesan falls in love with someone she shouldn't. She's also suffering from TB, guess what happens.

Review

The magnificent Garbo graces us again with her splendour. Watching any Garbo film is always a pleasure and this is no exception. Yes, she hams it up a bit, but she always was larger than life and we wouldn't want her any other way.

The story of the film is based on one of the most popular novels and plays of the 19th century, La Dame aux Camelias by Alexandre Dumas fils. Of course the plot is a bit dramatic and even melodramatic but there would never be a better casting for the part of Camille than Garbo. She has just the right balance between coldness and fragility to be able to pull this off.

Of course there are great costumes here, in the good tradition of an early Hollywood costume drama and they are part of the attraction of this film. I am actually quite sorry there are no great screen divas like Garbo or Dietrich anymore, they had a kind of solemn presence that filled the whole screen, and they didn't even need to be doing anything to make any film they were in spectacular. Watch it for Garb oand the sets, watch it because it is quite a good story, even if completely predictable from the moment she first coughs into her handkerchief 10 minutes into it. Get it from Amazon UK or US.

Final Grade

8/10

Trivia

From Wikipedia:

One of numerous films based on the play, Camille was made by MGM. It was directed by George Cukor and produced by Irving Thalberg and Bernard H. Hyman, from a screenplay by James Hilton, Zoe Akins and Frances Marion, based on the Dumas novel. The music score was by Herbert Stothart and Edward Ward, the cinematography by William H. Daniels and Karl Freund, the art direction by Cedric Gibbons and the costume design by Adrian.

The film stars Greta Garbo, Robert Taylor and Lionel Barrymore with Elizabeth Allan, Jessie Ralph, Henry Daniell and Laura Hope Crews.

Camille was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress (Greta Garbo).

The film inspired Milton Benjamin to write and publish a song called "I'll Love Like Robert Taylor, Be My Greta Garbo".

Camille was included in Time Magazine's All-Time 100 Movies in 2005. It was also included at #33 in AFI's 100 Years... 100 Passions.

Camille: