Rembrandt

This was a superbly acted movie. I happened across it on TCM and was instantly sucked in. The dialogue was written very well and beautifully portrayed by all of the actors. This is not a typical movie from 1936 with over the top deliveries from the talent. I just can't say enough about it.

Additionally, it was shot very nicely. Keep in mind that this is a very old movie, but the black and white photography is put together in an almost Rembrandt way.

If you haven't seen Rembrandt then go and get it. You won't be disappointed. Well done!

Charles Laughton is "Rembrandt" in this 1936 film he made for Alexander Korda, one of three films he made in England during this time.

The story takes us through Rembrandt's sad life, and manages at the same time to leave out a lot of sadness. The film shows his son Titus, but there were several other children who did not survive. The great tragedy of Rembrandt's life was the death of his wife Saskia, whom he painted often. Rembrandt was also known for asking Jews to pose for his Old Testament paintings, which are informed by his knowledge of the Bible.

There were two other women in Rembrandt's life: his common-law wife Hendrickje Stoffels (Elsa Lanchester) and his housekeeper, Geertje Dirx (Gertrude Lawrence) who evidently became his lover. She later sued Rembrandt for breach of promise, and he had to pay her 200 guilders a month. For years he tried to get her committed.

Rembrandt is shown falling into poverty here. When his fortunes dimmed as an artist, he continued to work as a teacher. Bad investments were the main cause of his problems. In truth, his paintings remained popular throughout his lifetime, and the one for which he is chastised in the film actually was a huge hit.

Laughton portrays Rembrandt as a man of tremendous artistic integrity, a learned man with soul, heart, and a great feeling for language. Indeed, Laughton's monologues are absolutely beautiful; had he read the phone book, I would have been just as enraptured. Elsa Lanchester is very young here, all eyes, and gives a very sweet performance as the frail Hendrickje. Gertrude Lawrence is an absolute spitfire as Geertje.

Wonderful film. Don't miss this breathtaking Laughton performance.

Truly wonderful and worth all the plaudits piled on this film after sixty-odd years. Laughton was arguably never better than in this role and has able support from Elsa Lanchester, Gertrude Lawrence (fascinating to see her and she made few films and they are rarely seen nowadays), the Livesey clan etc etc. A film of atmosphere, of clarity, and of soul, like a Rembrandt painting in fact. Marvellous.

Charles Laughton returned to his native Great Britain in 1936 for three years and made a series of films there. The first and best of these was for Alexander Korda about Rembrandt Van Rijn, arguably the greatest of all Dutch painters.

Later biographical pictures, Lust for Life about Van Gogh and Moulin Rouge about Toulouse-Lautrec had good location photography going for them. Alexander Korda did create some nice sets to depict the Netherlands of the 17th century, but it just isn't the same.

Another difference between Rembrandt and the other two later pictures is while Van Gogh and Toulouse-Lautrec died young, Rembrandt lived to be an old man by the standards of his century. The film takes us on a forty year journey of his life from the death of his first wife until just before he dies. Laughton is great at capturing Rembrandt at every stage of his life.

As compared to those other two 19th century artists, Rembrandt's life was also not the tormented one the others had. Rembrandt is not a deformed cripple like Toulouse-Lautrec nor is he dealing with the onset of mental illness like Van Gogh. Tragedy happens in his life, but the tragedy isn't out of his own character.

Like the other two Rembrandt was constantly plagued with money problems. That's actually what takes up most of the film, the compromises he makes with his artistic vision and the need he has to put bread on the table.

Gertrude Lawrence and Elsa Lanchester do fine as the two women in his life. Laughton and Lawrence did not get along during the making of Rembrandt, that may have helped give their scenes some real bite. Three members of the performing Livesey family are in this film and Roger Livesey is a standout as the beggar who Rembrandt uses to paint his portrait of King Saul from the Old Testament.

Rembrandt is a finely crafted piece of film making and Charles Laughton gives one of his best screen performances. I wish though it had been done on location the way Lust for Life and Moulin Rouge were.

REMBRANDT Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606-1669), overcomes personal tragedy & great sorrow to be revered as the world's greatest painter.

Sir Alexander Korda's production of the life of the celebrated artist is beautifully presented on screen. Chief among its assets - and the main reason for its success - is the magnificent performance by Charles Laughton. Eccentric & temperamental, Laughton could be difficult to work with. But once fascinated by a role he gave it the full vibrato of his own extensive genius - here he makes Rembrandt an equal member of his continuing roster of fascinating portraits from the decade: Henry VIII, Bligh, Quasimodo.

Laughton had the remarkable ability - like the English actor George Arliss, working in the American cinema - of using his physical ugliness to great advantage, his eyes in particular offering glimpses of his characters' souls. At various points throughout the film - a monologue of Woman's Mysteries; reading from The Scriptures - Laughton's beautiful, soothing voice reaches beyond the screen and down the years to caress the listener.

Making a rare screen appearance, stage legend Gertrude Lawrence plays Rembrandt's shrewish housekeeper & companion, Geertje Dirx. Laughton's wife, the luminous Elsa Lanchester, is unforgettable as Hendrickje Stoffels, the housemaid who wins her employer's love and becomes his greatest defender and champion.

The wonderful actor Roger Livesey, almost unrecognizable behind a bushy beard (but there's no disguising that unique voice) is memorable as the ragged beggar Rembrandt hires to model the Old Testament despot Saul; Livesey's scenes with Laughton are among the best in the entire film. John Bryning turns in a sensitive portrait as Rembrandt's son Titus. Sir John Clements has the small role as Govert Flinck (1615-1660), Rembrandt's disaffected apprentice and eventual rival. Movie mavens will recognize an uncredited Wilfred Hyde-White in a tiny cameo as an officer of the Amsterdam Civic Guard.

The film is given first rate production values, with marvelous interior sets & costumes. The exterior Amsterdam sets are visually striking, with the camera angles and the stark angularity of the buildings making them look almost expressionistic. These contrast nicely with the simplicity with which the brief outdoor rural scenes are depicted.

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Some important dates in the life of Rembrandt:

15 July 1606 - born in Leiden, The Netherlands, to the local miller.

1620-21 - attends University of Leiden.

1631 - moves to Amsterdam.

1634 - marries wealthy Saskia van Uylenburgh.

1639 - purchases large Amsterdam house.

1641 - son Titus is born.

1642 - Saskia dies; Rembrandt paints 'The Shooting Company of Captain Franc Banning Cocq ('The Night Watch').'

1649 - hires Hendrickje Stoffels as housekeeper; she becomes his common-law wife.

1654 - Hendrickje, pregnant with daughter, is censured by church council for living in sin.

1656 - Rembrandt declared insolvent; house & goods auctioned to pay debts.

1663 - death of Hendrickje.

1668 - death of son Titus, aged 26.

4 October 1669 - dies in Amsterdam.

Rembrandt produced approximately 300 etchings, 600 paintings and 1,400 drawings.