Camille (1936)

Camille is a story of an ill-fated courtesan from the novel by Alexandre Dumas fils. This was a film from MGM's golden age with their headlining star Greta Garbo and the premium inputs available from their star studded stable of great character actors.

Greta Garbo plays the title role, as Marguerite Gauthier, a lady who gets a fresh bouquet of camellias every day, hence is known as Camille. The camellias are a metaphor for you-know-what. She lives in the demi-monde - the whirlwind of parties and high life that exists outside of the formal society. Men come to be entertained by these high flying women apart from their wives and the women receive compensation for their attentions.

The movie begins showing Garbo attending an opera with others of her ilk peering through their glasses and trying to find eligible (= rich) gentlemen. A noble, Baron de Varville (Henry Daniell) views her and her friend points out the baron, but Camille mistakenly looks at fresh faced Armand Duval (Robert Taylor) and when the men are invited to the women's boxes, the mistaken identity carries through until Robert Taylor reveals he is not the baron, but the poor but honest man he is. Camille begins an affair with the baron but continues to see Armand on the side. As time passes, Camille obtains large sums of money from the baron to fund her lavish lifestyle. They have fallings out, but seem to always get back together, and Robert Taylor usually comes back, too.

In fact, an underlying irony of the situation is Camille's illness, although Garbo does not milk it. Camille suffers from tuberculosis and only has a short time to live. But just a cough here and a cough there and she is increasingly confined to her sick bed.

Camille is a story of doomed love. Garbo knows that she and her world are false; they are created for a purpose and just as easily cast aside and this is proved when, as she becomes ill, the baron seeks his game elsewhere. Whenever she gets back on her feat, he comes around. But Armand Duval is true and offers a glimpse of what might have been had she chosen another path. Lionel Barrymore plays Duval's father who begs Camille to let his son go, and she to her credit rejects Armand to allow him to pursue his destiny as some minor bureaucrat. The ending is sad, of course, but Garbo is luminous. The camera loved her.

The film was directed by George Cukor and had all the quality sets and costumes of an extravagant MGM production of the day. The supporting cast is top notch with the cortesans played by some very accomplished actresses like Laura Hope Crews and Elizabeth Allan. Lionel Barrymore and Henry Daniell play well in their short parts with Daniell a tough guy to contrast with Robert Taylor’s dewy youth.

The Warner Bros DVD is presented in B&W full frame as it was seen in theaters and the film runs 109 minutes. The 70 year-old film has not been restored so there are numerous defects visible. A copy of the 1921 silent version of Camille, starring Rudolph Valentino, is included as an extra feature, along with the subtitles. The quality of the DVD is better than the old MGM VHS, so it's worth the upgrade.

The disk is available separately, or in the 10-disc Garbo Signature Collection which includes Anna Christie; Mata Hari; Grand Hotel; Queen Christina; Anna Karenina; Camille; Ninotchka; and the Garbo Silents: Flesh and the Devil (1927), The Mysterious Lady (1928), and The Temptress (1926)

More MGM Golden Age greats -

A Tale of Two Cities
Treasure Island
David Copperfield

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening