Whatever made Nazimova think she could be Camille, one of the most sought after "courtesans" in Paris? Or maybe French men really did have a thing for flat-chested, shapeless women with big feet and bigger hairdos. Surely that was a wig. There is no way they could have tossed up that concoction on a daily basis. And Rudolf Valentino falls hopelessly in love with her at first sight. Really? Valentino might could have added something to this picture if Nazimova would have allowed it. Instead, she chose to keep his appearances brief and subdued, and even to keep him off-screen as much as possible so as to keep the (very soft and fuzzy) focus on herself. On the positive side, there are some very interesting set designs, especially Camille's Paris apartment and the casino. I especially liked the women in silhouette behind the screen and their Egyptian-evoking movements. Valentino's second plaything, Olympe, looks like she may have just stepped out of a Venusian spacecraft. But then it was Paris. I see that many people are impressed with all of the "artistic" innovations introduced by Nazimova, including her rather unique acting style. To me, it seems to date the picture. Possibly in 1921 Nazimova was all the rage, but not for long. It could have been a better movie with more Valentino and less Nazimova--and a lot less hair.
Review of Camille
