Linbeymusol Wonderful character development!

Humaira Grant It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Abbigail Bush what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

Haven Kaycee It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

Hitchcoc This is based on the sentimental novel by Alexandre Dumas fils. It is the story of a courtesan who is being kept by a rich man. She lives in the early 1800's, a harsh time, and has pretty much all she wants--except true love. When the handsome Robert Taylor (Armand) comes along, she is willing to do anything for him. He feels the same way but it is dissuaded by his uncle because her past will ruin any prospects he has. Greta Garbo is Camille, playing the part to the hilt. She is another one of those fragile beings that made up her career. Everything is orchestrated to bring about the striking conclusion. Part of the problem is that this ending has been parodied so many times and is so gut wrenching, it's almost too much to watch. All the characters are handsome or pretty and the milieu of France is well crafted. But it really seems dated now.

secondtake Camille (1936)This melodramatic tale of true life in the face of the strictures of social reality is tried and true. You feel for both the male lead (Robert Taylor, who is quite good) and the female (Grate Garbo, of course, who is excellent). That's the whole point. These are two people who are not quite appropriate because they come from different social levels, but there is a sense they could make it work if they wanted to.But outside forces get in the way. Chief among them is the man's father, who wants to save his son from a marriage that will ruin both husband and wife. This is a key role in the film, and a critical if brief 10 minutes or so. The father is played, importantly, by Lionel Barrymore, who does little else int he movie. But here he makes his case to the Garbo with amazing force. It's a great scene, even if you wish Garbo would leap up and say, no, no, I'm going to follow my heart.But exactly what happens is what the movie is about. The rules of the culture of the time (1800s France) prevent an honest sense of two people marrying out of simple love for one another. In a way, that's the whole point of continuing the old Dumas story, which has resonated for decades into the Hollywood era. I'm not sure it would work now, except as an historical drama. This is set in the period (around 1850) and feels legit. Unlike the curious (and not bad) 1921 silent version, which sets it in a 1920s culture, this one transports us back to the original. Fair enough! There is a contrived quality to the plot, for sure, partly because of its origins. While this doesn't ruin the whole enterprise, there is a slight feeling of being led along the whole time. Garbo and Taylor are both terrific, however, and we feel some honesty to their feelings for one another. It's on that basis that the movie works. And it really does, even through the over the top drama in the last scene. Moving and beautiful overall.

jc-osms Sumptuous Golden Age weepie starring the divine Garbo cast slightly improbably as a, shall we say, mature, but consumptive courtesan caught in a love triangle with cold-hearted moneybags Lord De Varville and poor impressionable young thing Armand.In the end the consumption wins but the build up to the tragedy is high-quality costume melodrama with Garbo in captivating form as the epicentre of scandal in high society France - there are lots of mesdames and monsieurs but scarcely a Gallic accent in sight. Director Cukor doesn't overdo the focus on Garbo, preferring to film her in double portraits, most usually with Robert Taylor as the ardent Armand but it's her you'll be drawn to. Hardly sylph-like and certainly not a conventional beauty she acts beautifully and for the most part convinces you of her power to captivate men at a hundred paces. She gives her not altogether pleasant character depth and profundity by injecting emotion and humanity into her performance, even coaxing out what looks like a real teardrop after one of her emotional farewells with her young lover.The supporting characters are well written and played from Camille's so-called society friends who by the end are raiding her handbag for money as she lies expiring on her death-bed, while Lionel Barrymore impresses in a sensitive scene as Armand's father persuading her to give up her love for his son. Taylor plays the callow youth with vigour while Henry Daniell is suitably reptilian as the controlling sugar daddy.The sets and costumery are excellent and director Cukor confidently moves his actors around the scenery, contrasting the vain-glorious narcissism and decadence of the idle rich with the simple-hearted devotion of Camille's housekeeper and close friends.Of course the language is all very flowery and sometimes wearing on the ears, but it doesn't take long to become engaged with the film and, yes, care about the characters. New rivals were emerging in Hollywood to compete with Garbo as the top female star on the block, like Hepburn, Davis and of course, from nearer her own era, Deitrich, but here, on top of her game, Garbo still sends out a catch-me-if-you-can dare to these and others.

TheLittleSongbird Camille could top the Elephant Man for the most moving film of all time. Everything about this movie is beautiful, the acting, the cinematography and one of the saddest endings on film.The story is wonderful, based on a work by Alexandre Dumas Junior. The opera La Traviata also happened to be inspired by the story, and I noticed a number of similarities between this film and the opera, like the death scene, and when Armand insults Margherite(throwing money in her face, like in the opera).The cinematography and costumes were gorgeous, and an example of French extravagance, despite the fact that Camille was made in the 30s. The music, especially in Margherite's death scene, was so hauntingly touching. Through the music, we felt the romance between Armand and Margherite. Also Margherite's death is the most heart-rending death ever on screen, whether in romance or a biographical drama.The performances were exceptional. Greta Garbo was the movie. The whole movie is worth watching just for her performance, which was more than outstanding. This movie was referenced in the 1982 musical Annie, which was where I got introduced to the movie. Robert Taylor, I usually find a bit dull, but I felt a great much-needed restraint here, in possibly his best performance. Everybody else was great as well, particularly Lionel Barrymore as Monsieur Duval.In conclusion, a beautiful and inspired film, so worth watching for Garbo's performance and her character's death. Believe me, it is a million times better than most of the rubbishy sentimental romantic dramas out now, and that's a fact! 10/10. Bethany Cox