Rédemption

A good sound film for its time that should be absolutely fascinating to any silent-film buff. Look at the cast list and the director's name. This film positively teems with former silent-film *STARS* at the onset of sound productions.

Perhaps not surprisingly, I feel this film would have been better if produced silent. It certainly has the silent "look" and a silent "pace" to it.

While I think all the actors' voices sound good (even Gilbert's), their line deliveries are occasionally suspect--but not too bad.

All in all a decent (not excellent) early sound picture that should hold silent-film fans rapt till the end credits.

"Redemption" is well-paced, competently directed, attractively cast, makes good use of off-screen sound (rain, birds, clock, singing, etc.) - but the story itself is slight and trite; one can only imagine that the Leo Tolstoy play on which it was based had more substance to it. Watchable. ** out of 4.

My main reasons for seeing 1930's 'Redemption' was for silent film star John Gilbert in the lead role, in his second talkie, and once again to see if his talkie films deserved the bad reputation they have as many felt and still feel that he didn't transition well from silent to talkie. His voice, as already said, also didn't have a good reputation, with many feeling that it didn't match their expectations of what he would sound like looking at him.

Watching his talkies overtime, my feeling is that, while one can see why the reputations of some of them are not great or even good not all of his talkies are bad. Actually liked 'Downstairs' a lot which also boasted one of Gilbert's best performances in my view, and 'Phantom of Paris' also had a good deal of good points despite completely falling apart in the last third. Do think as well that his personal problems and financial difficulties played a major part in his decline and hurt his strong reputation he had in silent pictures, an opinion also felt by a good deal of people now. 'Redemption' is his second talkie as said already, have not been able to find his talkie debut though 'His Glorious Night' (which seems like it is in obscurity), and to me it's one of his weakest talkies.

'Redemption' has its moments. It is well shot and designed, not looking too over-static.

Gilbert does his best with what he was given to work with, which was well below his abilities and not meaty at all, and compared to everything else he's pretty decent. The best and most genuine performance, with the only character that feels real, comes from Conrad Nagel.

The rest of the cast are not good at all, either being exaggerated or bland. They also evoke the strong feeling of not being bad at all in silent film but transitioning badly into talkies and being ill at ease in it. Have seen much better from Eleanor Boardman. The direction is similarly stiff and uncomfortable, it was Fred Niblo's first sound film and the inexperience and self-consciousness in sound shows.

Sadly that is not all. The story creaks badly and has an already old-fashioned feel, on top of being predictable and dull. The chemistry is static and the more romantic moments are more unintentionally funny than sweet. The script is too wordy and over-flowery, not to mention that it flows awkwardly throughout. Next to none of the characters ring true or feel like real people, the only genuine character is Nagel's.

Concluding, very mediocre at best and while the overall reputation of Gilbert's talkies was not that bad this was proof that it was not entirely undeserving. 4/10

An irresponsible gambler, having destroyed the happiness of those dearest to him, seeks REDEMPTION in suicide.

According to cinematic legend, all the talkie MGM films starring John Gilbert were dreadful - the result of a bitter hatred between Gilbert (the highest paid star in Hollywood, with a $1.5 million contract) & studio boss Louis B. Mayer. A determination on Gilbert's part to fulfill the contract, and a campaign instituted by Mayer to destroy Gilbert's career including spreading the rumor that Gilbert's voice was 'high & feminine', culminated in several unwatchable movies.

Not entirely true. The Studio had a huge financial investment in Jack Gilbert and was not going to completely cut its own throat by showcasing him in nothing but dreck. However, of the 8 MGM talkies in which he appeared as solo star (1929 - HIS GLORIOUS NIGHT; 1930 - REDEMPTION; WAY FOR A SAILOR; 1931 - GENTLEMAN'S FATE; THE PHANTOM OF Paris; WEST OF Broadway; 1932 - DOWNSTAIRS; 1933 - FAST WORKERS) most were certainly rather ghastly.

Although released after HIS GLORIOUS NIGHT, REDEMPTION was Gilbert's first foray into talking pictures. He hated the film and begged the Studio not to release it, fearful of what it might do to his career. But release it they did, and coming after the atrocious reception of HIS GLORIOUS NIGHT, Gilbert's career was struck a mortal blow.

One of the main problems with REDEMPTION, aside from the turgid dialogue and dreadful editing, is that it is a depressing story, with wretchedly unhappy characters. This may have worked fine in Tolstoy's original novel (The Living Corpse), but for the cinema, especially dealing with the new difficulties engendered by sound, a morbid story line was deadly. To make matters worse, Gilbert tended to deliver his lines in a sing-song manner, which made them sound silly. Only in the Easter Monday Night scene does he get a few moments to show what he was capable of artistically.

The rest of the cast, Conrad Nagel, Eleanor Boardman & Renée Adorée, are also defeated by the film, although they speak their lines more naturalistically than Gilbert. The existing print of the film seems about 10 minutes short and what appears to be missing, based on Gilbert's final lines, would be the death of Adorée's character. (Movie mavens will recognize, in an uncredited role, silent comic Mack Swain playing an unfriendly Russian judge.)

Finally, about The Voice. There was nothing at all strange or unnaturally high about Gilbert's voice. As a matter of fact, it was of medium range & rather cultured & refined. Which was the crux of the problem, of course. While it is possible that no voice could have ever matched the perfect one viewers heard in their minds while watching his strong, virile silent roles, the reality was very different from what they wanted to hear (imagine Robert Montgomery's voice coming out of Clark Gable's mouth.) Gilbert was doomed from his first scene in his debut talkie; his war with Mayer only intensified the agony. John Gilbert would die in 1936, forgotten by most of his former fans, at the age of only 36.

Interesting film but not very good.

Infamous as John Gilbert's first talkie, though it was released by MGM after HIS GLORIOUS NIGHT had already bombed. Oh that LB Mayer.....

The copy I have was taped off TNT (tv station) and was trimmed by maybe 10 minutes to fit a timeslot. In any case, the story is not very good, one about brooding Russians and fiery Gypsies and love gone bad.

Gilbert is, however, very good as the failing Russian who can't decline booze or gambling. Eleanor Boardman is his faithful wife. Conrad Nagel is friend. Renee Adoree is a fiery Gypsy. Mack Swain plays a Russian judge and Sidney Bracey a philosophic waiter.

It seems badly edited and/or directed but the story is so dark and gloomy it hardly matters. The 4 stars are all pretty good in this early talkie, and Gilbert, in fine voice, has a few very good scenes that almost salvage the film.

Again it's odd that contemporary reviews of this film and HIS GLORIOUS NIGHT never mentioned Gilbert as having a bad voice, thin, effeminate, high, or anything else.... The films were just clunkers.....