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Rembrandt (1936)

Well rendered biopic about the 17th century Flemish painter Rembrandt Van Rijn, played by the inimitable Charles Laughton (Mutiny on the Bounty).

The film opens with Rembrandt a middle-aged man at the height of his creative powers with a studio, several students, and a wife who is his favorite model. He waxes eloquent over her beauty and mystery to a bunch of cronies at the tavern only to find out that she has suddenly died.

Rembrandt’s paintings begin to reflect his darkened outlook and he loses big commissions, including a huge painting of the Civic Guards, who refuse to pay for such a dark picture. These same paintings are today recognized among the finest masterpieces ever painted, but at the time Rembrandt became a laughingstock and became financially reduced till he was evicted from his house. He tried to return to Leyden, the farm village of his origin, but was viewed with suspicion by the locals as “that guy from the city.” He was also unable to perform the heavy work of his father and brother at the mill, so he returned to Amsterdam.

One of the finest scenes shows Rembrandt hiring a beggar (Roger Livesey) to pose as King Saul, having to beg the half florin to pay the beggar, himself. Rembrandt finally finds love again with serving maid Hendrickje, Laughton’s real-life wife Elsa Lanchester (Bride of Frankenstein). Lanchester and Laughton have some brilliant scenes together but Rembrandt unfortunately outlives his second great love also. He is finally vindicated when, as an old man, he is unrecognized by a bunch of new artists who take him to a tavern along with their girlfriends. After having great fun at his expense, a passerby recognizes and greets Rembrandt and the young artists are dumbstruck that they have been entertaining the master without knowing it.

Rembrandt was directed by Alexander Korda, one of the great directors and the first in the film industry to be knighted for his work. Korda was involved in several classic films, including The Four Feathers and Thief of Baghdad. It is probably not an exaggeration to say that Korda and his brothers made the British film industry what it is, bringing lots of talented individuals together, including Pressburger and Powell (The Red Shoes) as well as Georges Perinal, who was the cinematographer for this work.

Korda’s camera has an expressionistic style and makes the most of the short scenes. The film only runs 85 minutes but there is more quality in it than many pictures that run much longer. To the viewer’s delight, Korda showed the snotty attitudes of the middle class who derided Rembrandt, while today all are forgotten yet he is remembered and shall be as long as great art is appreciated.

Charles Laughton is among a handful of actors who could truthfully be said to be on the top of the heap. Every performance I’ve seen of his has been interesting and well performed. Elsa Lanchester played alongside Laughton in quite a few films, including Witness for the Prosecution, The Private Life of Henry VII, and this one.

The MGM DVD is presented in 1.33:1 theatrical ratio in black and white. The 85 minute film only has French and Spanish subtitles as additional features.

Those who like biographies of artists will also like Vincente Minelli’s biography of Vincent Van Gogh, Lust for Life

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John Huston’s biography of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec Moulin Rouge

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Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening