Review of Camille (1921) by Jenny W — 23 Dec 2007

Every time I see this film, I want more of it. It somehow epitomizes everything that silent film is to me. The character movements, facial expressions, set designs, fashions, make-up, dialogue and music score come together so flawlessly that it makes you wonder why a full range of sound would ever be needed later in film.

Alla Nazimova's Marguerite Gautier is a beautifully animated lady of glamour. As she stows away from a party one evening, none of her guests bother to notice the fact that she's ill. Rudolph Valentino's light-hearted Armand Duval, however, has been mesmerized by her presence the entire night and notices her leave. He rushes into her room desperately and as she pushes him away, he tells her, "You are different! This life is unworthy of you -- it is killing you!" From that point on, she's realizes that he's not like the rest of them. He actually gives a damn if she lives or dies! She's captured.

Nazimova perfects the anguished, tortured half that's forced to leave her lover for good. Valentino nails the raptured, heartbroken half that's been betrayed by one whom he loved with all his life. Together, these two make one hell of an on-screen pairing. Stated simply, you won't be able to tear your eyes away from their unforgettable expressions that epitomize human emotion.