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Pair director Josef von Sternberg with Emil Jannings and these two greats created a memorable film featuring a justly lauded and rewarded performance by Jannings (Oscar, Best Actor) at the height of his considerable powers. Evelyn Brent is sensational, with a "modern" performance as moving as any "talkie" role could be. William Powell, of "The Thin Man" fame, shows his range.
A Hollywood director, an emigre from Russia, sends out for an actor to portray a Russian general. A crestfallen, husk of an old man applies and the director recognizes he is the former head of the Russian military, a deadly enemy that once held his life in his hands.
The mob scenes are as good as I've ever seen, truly terrifying; Brent is gorgeous and heart-rending; the cinematography is first-rate--- and the DVD is very well (re)constructed.
But what makes this truly worth your time is Jannings' timeless performance. In what could have provided ample space for exaggerations and scenery-chewing, he relied on nuance and magnetism. Who today possibly could portray so convincingly such a tragic character, so powerfully yet so tenderly?
No one.
Follow Ups:
Off-hand, the only thing I can possibly add to your impassioned review of this great film is a recommendation for the recent DVD set of Josef Von Sternberg silents from Criterion that includes "Underworld," "The Last Command" and "Docks of New York." His genius is apparent in each of these films, and what's even more amazing is that he was just getting warmed up for an equally impressive breakthrough in "talkies."
This Criterion set is a wonderful, with only one possible caveat (given the nice quality of the 35mm elements and transfers): these early Sternberg classics should've been offered simultaneously as a BD set at a slightly higher premium. I presume that those will be released on BD later on, much to the chagrin of double-pip deploring collectors like myself. *Sigh* -Oh, well.
While discussing Josef Von Sternberg's film career I have one slightly off-topic recommendation (see link below): If you can find a reasonably priced copy (HC or PB) of his autobiography "Fun in A Chinese Laundry" I suggest snapping it up. This clever, warts and all expose of Hollywood from the great Director's perspective was NOT ghost written; every wry, sarcastic comment clearly comes from Von Sternberg's jaded POV. One of the most entertaining 'reads' you'll ever come across on the subject of movies and the film industry.
Cheers,
AuPh
After watching "The Last Command" I watched the documentary (called a "visual essay") on the same disc, and thought it was informative about JVS, his mentors and influences. It broke down the way he designed his shots, and guided (and bullied) his actors, shot by shot, and revealed that this guy was a master. I also felt a little differently about Brent and Compson. Beautiful actresses, no doubt, but seeing their acting analyzed was educational for me. A blu-ray would be a treat. I would have bought it instead of the dvd set, no doubt. Did I mention that I liked the film, too? LIked it a lot. Do some of you forget how powerful silent films are? I do.
fsd
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