Wow, Ann Harding, I truly envy you being able to see
The Last of the Mohicans on the big screen. It’s a great film! (Out of curiosity, were the titles in English or French?). Boy, with
Redskin,
The Vanishing American and
Mohicans, you’ve been dipping into some interesting films “featuring” Native Americans!
(By the way, I also recently watched
The Vikings [thanks Jeffrey], and agree with you about the score, particularly the Wagner, and the overall Wagnerian performances. [I also liked Starke’s plunging necklines!
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
] I was impressed with the film’s color; it seemed to create an almost 3D effect, I guess because of the depth-of-field. By no means a great movie, but fun none-the-less.)
I finally got to catch up with the Criterion Eclipse Series of the Lubitsch musicals (I’m with you, Feiato, in your earlier comment about the Eclipse series, they are fantastic). I have to say, while all of the films are wonderful, they are best served up one at a time, and not sampled too closely together, because they are far too similar. My estimation of Jeanette MacDonald certainly rises with each pre-code of hers I see (she’s far better here, than in
San Francisco!), and I pretty much knew Chevalier from the dreaded
Gigi, so it’s fun seeing him at his prime. While all of the films are fun, they are also fascinating in the way they treat women. I know it’s through “PC” glasses, but in many of the films the woman had to give up something to win their man (most notably in
The Love Parade, where Queen MacDonald literally gives her kingdom to Chevalier). While I liked
The Smiling Lieutenant best (I think. They are all pretty great), it’s odd that Chevalier simply gives up Colbert because Hopkins lets down her hair and gets “interesting” underwear (what a relief, though, when Hopkins finally let down her hair,which had been tied up in a severe “Princess Leia” doo for the entire film). Again, I know that’s how these films go, it’s just fascinating seeing some of the not-so-discreet messages imbedded in them
By the way, while all these Lubitsch films are great, I’d still recommend Rouben Mamoulian’s
Love Me Tonight. It’s Chevalier and MacDonald at their “naughtiest” best, and far better music, too!
"Let's be independent together." Dr. Hermey DDS