Of all the films made about great painters Alexander Korda's "Rembrandt" is still one of the most visually astonishing. Almost every frame, (designer is Vincent Korda and the DP, the great Georges Perinal), is a work of art in itself and Charles Laughton, in the title role, is like a self-portrait come to life. Unfortunately, it ends there. Korda was a dreadfully pedestrian director and this fairly limps along, not helped by the terrible dialogue and some very wooden acting from the supporting cast, including a very shrill Gertrude Lawrence. Only the great Elsa Lanchester comes close to delivering a real character and her scenes with Laughton give the film a much needed lift. Had this been a silent picture, it might really have been something.The films reviewed here represent those I have liked or loved over the years. It is not a list of my favourite films but all the films reviewed here are worth seeing and worth seeking out. I know many of you won't agree with me on a lot of these but hopefully you will grant me, and the films that appear here, our place in the sun. Thanks for reading.
Tuesday, 24 March 2020
REMBRANDT
Of all the films made about great painters Alexander Korda's "Rembrandt" is still one of the most visually astonishing. Almost every frame, (designer is Vincent Korda and the DP, the great Georges Perinal), is a work of art in itself and Charles Laughton, in the title role, is like a self-portrait come to life. Unfortunately, it ends there. Korda was a dreadfully pedestrian director and this fairly limps along, not helped by the terrible dialogue and some very wooden acting from the supporting cast, including a very shrill Gertrude Lawrence. Only the great Elsa Lanchester comes close to delivering a real character and her scenes with Laughton give the film a much needed lift. Had this been a silent picture, it might really have been something.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
IT FOLLOWS
Already festooned with critical plaudits, "It Follows" is certainly a horror movie that's a cut above the rest though I'm...
-
"Secret Ceremony" is Joseph Losey's weird and wonderful and largely forgotten masterpiece about two women bound together by...
-
"The Band's Visit" is a thoroughly delightful comedy from Israel that might remind you of early Milos Forman or the films o...
No comments:
Post a Comment