Madame DuBarry
Directed by:
Ernst LubitschCinematography:
Theodor SparkuhlCast:
Pola Negri, Emil Jannings, Eduard von Winterstein, Reinhold Schünzel, Bernhard Goetzke, Karl Platen, Magnus Stifter, Paul Wegener, Harry Liedtke (more)Plots(1)
A recounting-à-la-Lubitsch of the torrid affair between the title character (Pola Negri) and France's King Louis XV (Emil Jannings, who would go on to portray Henry VIII in Lubitsch's Anna Boleyn of the following year - a film that neatly bookends Madame DuBarry), the picture spans scandalous intrigue at the court and the ring of the guillotine among the riotous mobs of the Revolution. (Eureka Entertainment)
(more)Reviews (1)
The classic story of the royal mistress DuBarry, directed by Lubitsch and abundantly assisted by his permanent ensemble. The titular heroine is Pola Negri, Emil Jannings plays Louis XV, and Harry Liedtke Armand De Foix. Personally, I don't feel that Pola Negri and her creations are the main assets to admire in this film. Instead, we can focus more on the epochal unfolding of images of the French court in full swing and the contrasting revolutionary turmoil. Madame DuBarry is a sweeping, majestic film, a historical fresco that heralded in an entire subgenre of films grazing for a finale with Madame Guillotine at the forefront. In addition, this film features the perfect symbiosis with the peephole metaphor and indiscreet situations.
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