Vamp, Vamp, Vamp: A Celebration of the Silent Femme Fatale

[donnie]

I've finally watched Prisoner of Zenda. (bet you figured I had given up and decided not to watch it, after all!) Here are my thoughts. Hopefully you guys remember what happened in the film after all this time.

Thanks for your thoughts! A lot of your comments were pretty much in line with ours (though I don't remember anything about the banana-cop joke; maybe I missed that). I think I mentioned that I also had a lot of trouble sorting out who's who. All in all, it was ok, but my least favorite of the five.

[BettyLouSpence]

Woohoo! My responses:

► Show Spoiler

I thought this was a pretty good movie. I watched it in a few sessions, never finished it, and then this morning I decided just to start over and watch the whole thing. I'm glad I did, because there were quite a few bits that I'd missed the first time around. As a result, I understood the film a lot more. I think I just wasn't into it my first go-around, so I missed a bunch of details.

I often find that it takes me a minimum of two viewings for a film to totally "click" with me, so to speak.

I spent the entire film trying to figure out what was vampy about anything the girls did in the film. Who was supposed to be the vamp in this? The only comment that alluded to that whatsoever is one meeting with the dark-haired woman, Michael said he doesn't know what it was that made him always want to meet with her.

Yeah, this is easily the least vampy film of the set. Unfortunately this was the only film of Barbara La Marr's available to watch online (well, that I was able to find, at least). I remember seeing potentially vampy titles when I was scouring Barbara's filmography on Wikipedia, such as Thy Name is Woman and The White Moth, the latter of which she was an uncredited writer for (she did get writing credits for two other films).

I loved that end scene. It's pretty amazing that in an hour fifty three, we didn't see any character development, except for the last scene.

This is one of the funniest things I've read in a long title. Savage!

[Kitty]

► Show Spoiler

I loved that end scene. It's pretty amazing that in an hour fifty three, we didn't see any character development, except for the last scene.

This is one of the funniest things I've read in a long title. Savage!

Haha glad I can amuse!

[Kitty]

I never did watch Variety, but I'm planning on watching it this week. Hope you all remember what happens in it!

[BettyLouSpence]

Perfect excuse for me to rewatch it—not that I need one! I really loved it.

[Kitty]

I have around 30 minutes left. I'll be finishing it tonight and then making my comments.

[Kitty]

Just finished Variety.
Wow! Some scenes were really gripping! I especially liked when he was walking down the hall and she was hanging on to him as he walked. Not really sure how she died, though, unless they were saying that her falling down the stairs twice killed her. I thought for sure that he was going to make his friend's death look like an accident during the trapeze act at the end, but I guess that's what they wanted you to think.

You know, their love might have been genuinely sweet if it weren't for the underlying fact that he left his wife and child to be with her. Out of context, they are actually kind of cute together.

I thought everone in this film was fantastic! The cinematography was beautiful. In the beginning, it reminded me of a Baz Luhrmann film, everything was so all over the place and erratic.
I personally think that the ending with him leaving the prison was unnecessary. In fact, the whole "Let me tell you a story." thing was unnecessary.
And might I say that Emil's character must have super trusted that guy who said he saw his friend and wife together.... I mean he didn't even question it at all. He goes from "I can't go to the party, go with Artelli!" to "My other friend says he saw them together, so it must be true." real quick. Boy, wouldn't he have egg on his face if it was just a ruse to get him to his surprise birthday party or something.

And when it comes to stunning camera work, how about those shots later from the viewpoint of the trapeze? Dizzying! How did they do that?

I actually did feel that sick feeling during those shots!!!

But the closeups and the lighting on the faces and eyes, I think, are what make this film for me more than anything else. So many examples... Standouts here the closeups of Boss after he learns the awful truth. And Jannings manages to make those closeups more and more and more eerie and intense up to the tragic moment. Talking about a look of murderous intent...

These shots, and a lot of this film's cinematography reminds me of Greed. You can feel this intense murderous, actually kind of frightening suspense.

By the way, she is the only vamp we've seen so far who ends up the victim of her own vamping.

Right! Though she did seem to genuinely love him. By the way, she is so adorable.

There is a strange disconnect between Berta-Marie as she is first seen and the Berta of later on after she and Boss have run away together.

Come to think of it, it was almost like she was a different person! I wondered why she hadn't said a word the entire time. I almost feel like he was actually the vamp. Oh, by the way, that first time they are intimate was pretty intense; it said much more than another, more graphic scene could. Also, the time with their partner really could have been misconstrued as force, because she didn't seem super pleased that he was embracing her like that. Kind of creepy that he let down the blinds and then when they were done, opened the blinds and unlocked the door. Blech.

I think the bobbed hair later especially suits her—though those drawn-on eyebrows may be just a little severe at times. (If you can have a severe bun, you can have severe eyebrows. What if you had a severe bun and severe eyebrows? Then you'd really be pretty severe, wouldn't you?)

That's pretty severe.

I will say he looks a little solid and heavy to be believable as a trapeze artist, though that's a minor thing indeed, in view of the performance. By the way, there is also something about him that reminds me vaguely of Erich von Stroheim at times, though I think Jannings far surpasses him.

This is a thought that crossed my mind, and they definitely got a skinnier man to be his double for the trapeze scenes. Oh, by the way, why was he in the hospital for a year when he broke his legs, as his former wife comments? Seems a bit long.

Regarding everyone's comments on the title, I kind of thought it was called Variety because they were basically an act in a variety show.

As an aside, one thing that I kept saying in my head while reading all the comments is "Omg! Can you guys stop saying 'midget'?

I really liked this film! There were a few things I would have changed a bit, but this was definitely a beautiful film that we are fortunate to have in existence. Thanks, as always, Betty, for orchestrating our watch-fests!


In rereading my comments, I realize I say oh by the way a lot. It's because I was remembering things as I went along.

[BettyLouSpence]

I thought everone in this film was fantastic! The cinematography was beautiful. In the beginning, it reminded me of a Baz Luhrmann film, everything was so all over the place and erratic.

Yes! This film was so visually stunning.

And might I say that Emil's character must have super trusted that guy who said he saw his friend and wife together.... I mean he didn't even question it at all. He goes from "I can't go to the party, go with Artelli!" to "My other friend says he saw them together, so it must be true." real quick. Boy, wouldn't he have egg on his face if it was just a ruse to get him to his surprise birthday party or something.

I figured that that was meant to underscore how possessive and jealous he was.

But the closeups and the lighting on the faces and eyes, I think, are what make this film for me more than anything else. So many examples... Standouts here the closeups of Boss after he learns the awful truth. And Jannings manages to make those closeups more and more and more eerie and intense up to the tragic moment. Talking about a look of murderous intent...

These shots, and a lot of this film's cinematography reminds me of Greed. You can feel this intense murderous, actually kind of frightening suspense.

Right! Though she did seem to genuinely love him. By the way, she is so adorable.

Agreed! I never thought I'd thinking a vamp was adorable before

...Also, the time with their partner really could have been misconstrued as force, because she didn't seem super pleased that he was embracing her like that. Kind of creepy that he let down the blinds and then when they were done, opened the blinds and unlocked the door. Blech.

Was it meant to be consensual? It came off to me as the opposite.

I think the bobbed hair later especially suits her—though those drawn-on eyebrows may be just a little severe at times. (If you can have a severe bun, you can have severe eyebrows. What if you had a severe bun and severe eyebrows? Then you'd really be pretty severe, wouldn't you?)

That's pretty severe.

What have I coined

I really liked this film! There were a few things I would have changed a bit, but this was definitely a beautiful film that we are fortunate to have in existence. Thanks, as always, Betty, for orchestrating our watch-fests!

You're welcome!

[donnie]

Glad you liked this, Kitty! I thought you would.

I thought for sure that he was going to make his friend's death look like an accident during the trapeze act at the end, but I guess that's what they wanted you to think.

Yes, the viewer is definitely led strongly in that direction, but then you sense that the reason that probably won't happen is that, with that plot turn, Boss would never be able to see Artinelli suffer for what he'd done. Everyone would just put it down as a tragic accident. To Boss, it was important that Artinelli knew he'd been found out and what was coming to him. (Am I making any sense? Can't think how to word what I mean, exactly.)

You know, their love might have been genuinely sweet if it weren't for the underlying fact that he left his wife and child to be with her. Out of context, they are actually kind of cute together.

Yes, they did have rather a unique chemistry.

And might I say that Emil's character must have super trusted that guy who said he saw his friend and wife together.... I mean he didn't even question it at all. He goes from "I can't go to the party, go with Artinelli!" to "My other friend says he saw them together, so it must be true." real quick.

That's an interesting point. (But also remember that suspicion had been gnawing at him earlier when they'd stayed out so late, but he shrugged it off.) I think the dramatic intensity of that sudden change—particularly where the room spins round and he picks up the table and slams it down—is very powerful. And that followed by his sudden rush outside to confront the witness. (By the way, did you notice how much the action was sped up at times? It was almost overdone, like a Keystone comedy at some points.)

Also, the time with their partner really could have been misconstrued as force, because she didn't seem super pleased that he was embracing her like that. Kind of creepy that he let down the blinds and then when they were done, opened the blinds and unlocked the door. Blech.

Yes, I agree with Betty in that I took it to be totally nonconsensual, judging from her movements and facial expressions when he first approached her. She looked definitely in fear. "Blech" is right.

There were a few things I would have changed a bit...

One thing I thought about along those lines (in addition to the "blech"): at the end after he asks the location of the police station and walks through the door, I'd like to have seen that fade straight back into the prison frame ending, omitting hailing the taxi and getting into it—that seems like an unnecessary and mundane (albeit minor) break in the dramatic action at that point.

Thanks, as always, Betty, for orchestrating our watch-fests!

Yes, indeed!

In rereading my comments, I realize I say oh by the way a lot. It's because I was remembering things as I went along.

Never noticed.

Agreed! I never thought I'd thinking a vamp was adorable before

That's the nicest portrait I've seen of her. And: severity-free! No severe eyebrows, bun, nothing… well...but now that lipstick...

[Kitty]

(By the way, did you notice how much the action was sped up at times? It was almost overdone, like a Keystone comedy at some points.)

Yes! That's what I meant when I said it reminded me of a Baz Luhrmann picture in some parts. He directed films such as Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge, and The Great Gatsby, all films that get extremely wild visually.

No one ever commented about the fact that the wife in the beginning saying that he was in the hospital for a year with broken legs. Even back then, that seems like an excessively long time to be in the hospital with broken bones.