Camille est une courtisane parisienne qui tombe amoureuse d'un jeune homme, Armand Duval. Lorsque le père d'Armand demande à Camille de ne pas ruiner l'avenir prometteur de son fils en l'épo... Tout lireCamille est une courtisane parisienne qui tombe amoureuse d'un jeune homme, Armand Duval. Lorsque le père d'Armand demande à Camille de ne pas ruiner l'avenir prometteur de son fils en l'épousant, elle accepte et quitte son amant.Camille est une courtisane parisienne qui tombe amoureuse d'un jeune homme, Armand Duval. Lorsque le père d'Armand demande à Camille de ne pas ruiner l'avenir prometteur de son fils en l'épousant, elle accepte et quitte son amant.
- Réalisation
- Scénario
- Casting principal
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Valentino is subtle and intense, he gives a memorable performance and his presence is electric. He is much more expressive than Robert Taylor in the Garbo version. Nazimova must have been aware of his scenic power, as she chose to have him absent in the last scene, so we could concentrate on her death which was very well done. In general Nazimova tends to be over the top in the crowd scenes, but her solos or scenes with Valentino reveal subtlety and add depth to the interpretation. She is very convincing for example, in establishing the disease as a major feature in her character from the very beginning.
The story takes place in the present then 1920's and not in the 1840's. The designs for sets and dresses by Natasha Rambova are exquisite. We first see Camille at the top of a grand staircase in what we assume is the Opera, surrounded by admirers and wearing a grand gown, and wild hairstyle. The party at her house afterward is perfect in the decor and design, particularly the way we can see into her boudoir from the salon. The country scenes were beautiful as were the flashbacks into the story of Manon Lescaut, the book that is a gift from Armand, and which he reads to her in their idyllic moments, and that she will hold on to till the very end. It relates a similar life to hers in the 18th century, and we understand her predicament to be a recurring theme, as old and human as society itself. The interior scenes in the country however were too spartan and middle-class in style. And her dresses are also too plain. We find it hard to believe Marguerite could have spend so much and get so little. It does seem a perfect environment though, for Armand's conventional and small- minded father, who looks like Napoleon III in his commanding incarnation of bourgeois morality.
The gambling scene that marks her re-entry into her old life is one of the best in the film. The communication between Marguerite and Armand from across the room is as intense as if they were holding each other close. It must be seen to be understood, as no words can accurately describe the gamut of feelings rushing by the actors, it is precisely at these moments that we understand the art of the silent era, and Norma Desmond's comment in "Sunset Boulevard" :"We didn't need words, we had faces".
Surely by now every one knows at least the basic outline of the story, which French author Dumas drew from life: Marguerite Gautier (Nazimova) is a celebrated courtesan who despises her life and yet cannot break free of it. When confronted with true love in the form of society youth Armand (Valentino), however, she attempts to leave her past behind--only to be convinced by her lover's father that if she really loves Armand she must leave him that he might take his rightful place in society. She returns to her old life, where she dies of consumption with her one true love's name upon her lips.
Nazimova, who is credited with introducing the Russian "method" to the New York stage, is an extremely interesting Camille. Unlike the later Garbo, she offers us a truly neurotic creature who in public screams with nervous energy--and then in private collapses under the twin weights of self-loathing and her increasing illness. At times her performance goes as far over the top as her hairstyle, but the cumulative result is exceptionally affecting. Valentino is typically Valentino, with an intriguing presence that relies more upon appearance than actual skill, and his performance adds no significant dimension to the part of Armand; this may, however, be an unfair criticism, for the role is notoriously thankless.
Rambova's strange set design for Marguerite's apartment is a highlight of the film and worth studying, very 1920s modern and yet still far advanced of anything commonly seen in even contemporary decor, and the cinematography gives CAMILLE an effectively lyrical feel. All in all, the film might best be considered as a high-art experiment that does not entirely come off, but even so it gives us the opportunity to see Nazimov near the height of her appeal, and as such is recommended to all silent film fans.
Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer
As in "Salome," Nazimova's hair, costumes, and gestures in "Camille" compensate for her lack of physical allure, and the audience eventually accepts that a Rudolph Valentino would succumb to her charms. However, Valentino, does not register here either physically or emotionally with the appeal that he would exhibit in later films.
Natacha Rambova, who was Mrs. Valentino, designed the costumes and sets, which often add a striking dimension to the film. The unusual designs are reminiscent of the Aubrey-Beardsley-inspired work on Nazimova's "Salome." Although the overall direction of "Camille" is competent, if not exciting, the story is well paced. While certainly not an example of the silent cinema at its artistic peak or even a typical commercial film of the era, "Camille" offers a star turn by one of the era's more eccentric actresses and an early look at one of the great male stars of the 1920's.
Le saviez-vous
- AnecdotesThe original play opened in Paris in 1852. The first Broadway production opened on 9 December 1853. There have been 15 Broadway revivals of the popular play, the last (to date) in 1935.
- Citations
Title Card: Winter. Paris, magic city of pleasure, yet beneath its tinseled gaiety throbbing with life's grim note of passion and tragedy.
- Versions alternativesOn 14 February 2002, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) broadcast the television premiere of the film with a new score by Peter Vantine, and a running time of 70 minutes. Vantine won the privilege of providing the score from a nationwide contest conducted by TCM, in which there were 375 entries. This version can be seen as a special feature on the Warner Bros. Home Video DVD for Le roman de Marguerite Gautier (1936), released in 2005.
- ConnexionsFeatured in Legendy mirovogo kino: Alla Nazimova
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Détails
- Durée1 heure 12 minutes
- Couleur
- Mixage
- Rapport de forme
- 1.33 : 1