Director: Ernst Lubitsch
Starring: Pola Negri, Emil Jannings, Harry Liedtke, Eduard von Winterstein.
Running Time: 114 minutes
Certificate: PG
There are many tragic tales concerning women both using and being used by the aristocracy. From her beginnings as a mere deliverer of hats, Dubarry (as she later becomes known), finds herself the affection of many a wealthy man. This of course leads to jealousy, pain, but also a sense of misguided power for our heroine. She’s certainly not weak, at least by her own assumptions, but she becomes a manipulator herself, that is until the humble peasants (where she once began her life) begin to rise up.
The very idea is quite a complex one, as we essentially have a hero who becomes a villain due to being thrusted into a position of power. There’s no way to not understand her abuse of power, as it comes forward from years of being mistreated. Of course, there are also those from her past that did treat her kindly, but the mind usually becomes self focused in such harsh times.
As a silent film, we don’t get to empathise with the character as much as we should. There’s a lot that would become apparent in the delivery of dilaogue, but the use of pure visual representations of emotion make this less of a journey and more of a sudden switch. It’s certainly a gorgeous affair though, with Lubitsch filling the screen with beautiful costumes and illustrious sets.
It’s a tale that has been told since, and in much better ways, but for its time this was no doubt a daring piece. Silent film fans will take a lot from the beautiful imagery, and the close-ups aid in creating wonderful performances from all involved.
[usr=3]MADAME DUBARRY is out on DVD & Blu-ray on 22nd September.
