Review of Queen Kelly (1929) by Stephen H — 23 Nov 2008

By far, this is my favorite Stroheim film. I'm not a fan of his earlier directorial attempts, but maybe that's because the copies that remain are fragmentary and I'm missing the better parts. I tired to like Blind Husbands and Foolish Wives, but his stories are social commentaries of another culture and another time, which is all alien to me. On top of that, comparing these films (excluding queen Kelly) to his "masterpiece", GREED, it seems that he doesn't care for the central part of the plot but wants to focus on the scenes in which he is acting. If the tudios were going to cut his films as much as they did, why did they not leave more of the minor details of the central plot? Why did they cut the heart of the film only to leave the scenes with Stroheim? The only relevance the scenes have is to illustrate his fights with the studio (Universal) and his triumphs, which had to be achieved by starring himself.

However, QUEEN KELLY is, by far, his best partially surviving work, next to GREED. The cinematography is excellent, the story is superb, the acting could not be better (in fact it's the best performance Seena Owen has ever given---a complete transformation from her eralier screen work, such as VICTORY) and the music is stunning. Tully Marshall gives his best performance (compared to the other films with him that are available on home video) and is truly the creepiest character to ever grace a Stroheim film. I can't say much for the guy who plays the Queen's fiancee'. I think John Gilbert could have done a better job. But he fits in with the rest of the film well enough. I just wish Swanson, wionderful actress though she may be, could have aloowed Stroheim to finish filming this magnificent work. All that remains of the film is one third of the plot. Swanson got angry at Stroheim for using her money (she produced it) to film excessive takes and retakes and finally to have her character sink from convent girl to the lowly proprietor of a African brothel, that she fired Stroheim and the film was released with an ending she made herself, having Kelly commit suicide and a Romeo and Juliet-like ending was tagged on. YOU MUST SEE THIS FILM. It is so very important to film history and otherwise, it's very entertaining.