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Camille (1921)



This one is included with on the Camille (1936) DVD, and its runtime is just over an hour. Nicely preserved. I had no idea what I was going to get here.

Nazimova -- did she just go by her last name? -- plays the role of Margueritte. What stands out about her in this performance is her wildly bushy hair, as well as the way she kind of slinks around a room.

Based on the Alexander Dumas novel, we already know what the plot is -- especially if we've just watched the Garbo film version on the same DVD.

Overall, I like the concision of this version. The black and white looks sharp.

Those interested in Nazimova might find her Wikipedia entry instructive. In it, we learn that she's a Russian-born American actress. She appeared in 20 films, and her sexuality was apparently open. Born in 1879, she is about 42 when she portrays Margueritte, about 11 years older than Garbo was, and more appropriate to the age that I imagined Marguerite to be.

I noted that a few Letterboxd reviewers wanted to mention that this film is openly lesbian. I really didn't get that. There is a moment, yes, when she kisses a woman, but for all I could tell, it looked simply like a kiss between two good friends...

In any event, I watched this back-to-back with the Garbo film. I think that did this version a slight disservice, and I wonder if I would have liked it even a bit more if I hadn't just watched the other version. Nevertheless, I like it, and maybe even a smidge more than the 1936 version.

Rating: 3.5/5
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