Grand Hotel remains surprisingly effective even today, and as some reviewers have suggested, is a precursor to Robert Altman's style of film-making, in which many characters interact and bounce off one another in unexpected ways. The action moves at a quick pace, as the scene constantly shifts between the characters. Director Edmund Goulding even utilized "wipes" to change the scene, which must have seemed very high-tech back in the early 1930's.
The narrative form is fluid, allowing each character to nicely develop his or her storyline in relation to the others. A story like Grand Hotel could easily become staid and set-bound, especially considering it was taken from a play, but the interesting sets, exquisite costumes, and the countless players keep the excitement level high.
The performances are certainly first-rate, as one would expect from the A-list cast. I do realize that many of today's viewers find Greta Garbo's aging Russian ballerina to be an exercise in over-indulgence, but I do enjoy her immensely! And who here today actually knows for certain how an aging Russian ballerina would act out when alone in her hotel room or with her entourage? Have today's critics spent time with Garbo's contemporary Pavlova, and found her by example to be much more subdued and controlled? It is not too much of a stretch to believe that Garbo's Grusinskaya may have existed in the actuality of 1932.
And what fun it is watching her as she goes through every emotion imaginable! Her great voice was always one of her best tools, and she certainly uses it to advantage here, throwing away lines that other actresses would have played up, and vice-versa. And the tight close ups of her beautiful face are breathtaking! I will only mention one scene specifically: when she futilely attempts to telephone her lover, the Baron, in the middle of the night. Alone on the screen she pleads for him to pick up, at times excited and joyful, quickly turning into desperation and despair and back again. She cradles the telephone receiver as if it were her lover.
Another knock-out performance comes from the young Joan Crawford, who in this huge production proved to the world she was an excellent actress who could hold the screen with any seasoned pro. As the shapely stenographer Flaemmchen, Crawford is absolutely stunning, as beautiful as Garbo, and a sexuality that certainly made guys in the audience take careful notice. And the profile of her extraordinary face was surely as "great" as John Barrymore's more famous one! She lends a distinct eroticism to her role, as she expertly delivers her character's suggestive dialogue, often with an resigned air of cynicism or jaded pessimism.
Of the male characters, Wallace Beery definitely commands attention! His portrayal of the desperate industrialist Preysing is both repellent and charismatic. As a man who exudes power and slowly begins to lose control, his performance is expertly crafted and layered. And I'd be remiss not to mention the Barrymore brothers, who round out the cast superbly. John charms both the men and women on screen with natural ease, while Lionel whimpers and whines like no other ever could. Both their characters are heartbreaking, each in his individual way. Even lesser characters, like Lewis Stone's horribly scarred doctor (in make-up that truly is disturbing) and Rafaela Ottiano's maid have their moments in the spotlight.
Minor spoiler ahead:
One scene that I found poignant was the bell boy quickly escorting the Baron's poor pet dachshund out the hotel lobby by its leash. They pass a janitor sweeping the floor with a large push broom, who without reason shoves the small dog along with the broom, causing it to stumble. The poor thing, wondering what hit it, turns around as it scoots along, only to have the janitor sweep a cloud of dust into its face. A truly sad small moment, as the viewer is left to wonder what will become of the dog now that it has lost its status as the beloved pet of a nobleman.
End of minor spoiler
Yes, Grand Hotel still remains splendid entertainment!
The narrative form is fluid, allowing each character to nicely develop his or her storyline in relation to the others. A story like Grand Hotel could easily become staid and set-bound, especially considering it was taken from a play, but the interesting sets, exquisite costumes, and the countless players keep the excitement level high.
The performances are certainly first-rate, as one would expect from the A-list cast. I do realize that many of today's viewers find Greta Garbo's aging Russian ballerina to be an exercise in over-indulgence, but I do enjoy her immensely! And who here today actually knows for certain how an aging Russian ballerina would act out when alone in her hotel room or with her entourage? Have today's critics spent time with Garbo's contemporary Pavlova, and found her by example to be much more subdued and controlled? It is not too much of a stretch to believe that Garbo's Grusinskaya may have existed in the actuality of 1932.
And what fun it is watching her as she goes through every emotion imaginable! Her great voice was always one of her best tools, and she certainly uses it to advantage here, throwing away lines that other actresses would have played up, and vice-versa. And the tight close ups of her beautiful face are breathtaking! I will only mention one scene specifically: when she futilely attempts to telephone her lover, the Baron, in the middle of the night. Alone on the screen she pleads for him to pick up, at times excited and joyful, quickly turning into desperation and despair and back again. She cradles the telephone receiver as if it were her lover.
Another knock-out performance comes from the young Joan Crawford, who in this huge production proved to the world she was an excellent actress who could hold the screen with any seasoned pro. As the shapely stenographer Flaemmchen, Crawford is absolutely stunning, as beautiful as Garbo, and a sexuality that certainly made guys in the audience take careful notice. And the profile of her extraordinary face was surely as "great" as John Barrymore's more famous one! She lends a distinct eroticism to her role, as she expertly delivers her character's suggestive dialogue, often with an resigned air of cynicism or jaded pessimism.
Of the male characters, Wallace Beery definitely commands attention! His portrayal of the desperate industrialist Preysing is both repellent and charismatic. As a man who exudes power and slowly begins to lose control, his performance is expertly crafted and layered. And I'd be remiss not to mention the Barrymore brothers, who round out the cast superbly. John charms both the men and women on screen with natural ease, while Lionel whimpers and whines like no other ever could. Both their characters are heartbreaking, each in his individual way. Even lesser characters, like Lewis Stone's horribly scarred doctor (in make-up that truly is disturbing) and Rafaela Ottiano's maid have their moments in the spotlight.
Minor spoiler ahead:
One scene that I found poignant was the bell boy quickly escorting the Baron's poor pet dachshund out the hotel lobby by its leash. They pass a janitor sweeping the floor with a large push broom, who without reason shoves the small dog along with the broom, causing it to stumble. The poor thing, wondering what hit it, turns around as it scoots along, only to have the janitor sweep a cloud of dust into its face. A truly sad small moment, as the viewer is left to wonder what will become of the dog now that it has lost its status as the beloved pet of a nobleman.
End of minor spoiler
Yes, Grand Hotel still remains splendid entertainment!