Queen Christina

After renegotiating her contract with MGM in 1933, Greta Garbo was given greater control over the films she made. She now had script, cast and directorial approval. Her next project would be her greatest film, Queen Christina.
Based on the life of the 17th century Queen Christina Wasa of Sweden, the film 'Queen Christina' -directed by the brilliant Rouban Mamoulian, would be one of the greatest testaments to love ever committed to celluloid.
After inheriting the throne at the age of 6 Christina grows to be an educated and sympathetic Queen, who's primary desire is to lead her country out of a 30 year war against the resisting pride of her country men, and into a direction of intellectual progress.


Garbo's Christina took Pre-Code sexuality to it's limit. Christina is a Queen who behaves more as a King, dressed in masculine attire, she is conducting minor affairs with both her chambermaid and the national treasurer. Urged to marry by her royal advisors, so as to deliver an heir to the throne, Christina shows no interest in the effete royal suitors she is presented with,or rather the portraits they send. When it is suggested that she will become an old maid, she responds with rakish masculinity "No, I will be a Bachelor!". After one particularly tiring day when she has had enough of the royal bullshit, she slips out of the palace to hunt in the snow with her valet, only to find a Spanish emissary Don Antonio(John Gilbert) who's carriage is caught in the snow.
Rushing to his aide, she throws her coat under the wheels of the carriage to give it traction. Mistaken for a young boy, she is given a couple of coins for her service. Humorously it is her image on the coins. Seeking shelter from the snow for the evening, Christina rents the last suite in the village Inn. It is not long before Antonio also reaches the Inn and is in need of a place to bed for the night. Christina (still disguised as a boy) and Antonio share some drinks, and discuss the differences in which a Swede and a Latin make love. It is soon decided the only logical thing to do is share the same bed, which Antonio seems almost over anxious to get to. Antonio is a little confused as to why the young man he is sharing the bed with is hesitant to undress, but soon figures out why, and without skipping a beat embraces her. What follows, are some of the most beautiful images found in American film. The scene of Christina silently wandering the candlelit room in heavenly elation, is a film landmark, it would be replicated in Bernardo Bertolucci's 2003 film 'The Dreamers'. After an extended stay in the inn with Don Antonio, Christina returns to her kingdom with a new vitality. Though her bliss is cut short when she her affair with Don Antonio is revealed to her subjects. She is suspected of treason. Christina will later renounce the throne "to be a human being" and marry Don Antonio, living in exile of Sweden.

Now, I know that my synopsis sounds somewhat tongue in cheek, but this film is really quite sophisticated, and shows the complexity of human longing with more maturity than any film I can think of. The fact that this film was made at all is quite remarkable, only a year later the Production code was in full force and would never have allowed for such a story to be told. Also, the fact that Garbo was able to cast her ex-lover John Gilbert in the part of Don Antonio, against the wishes of MGM is quite in keeping with the themes of the film. John Gilbert had been the biggest star for MGM during the 1920's, but after endless battles with Louis B. Mayer, and a flagging popularity after the coming of talking pictures Gilbert was considered Box-Office Poison. Neither his image or name would appear in the trailer for the film.
This film is also interesting when compared to Josef von Sternberg's masterpiece 'The Scarlet Empress' in which Marlene Dietrich -surely Garbo's only true cinematic equal, portrays Cathrine the Great, a woman who understands that her sexuality is one of her strongest assets.
I highly recommend watching this film, even for the beauty of Garbo herself.

Ugetsu

Inspired by two of Aknari Ueda's nine 'Tales of Moonlight and Rain', and Guy de Maupassant's 'How He Got The Legion of Honor', Kenji Mizoguchi's 1953 film Ugetsu monogatari is a fantastic story of Love, Ambition, and Ghosts in the midst of War-time.
Ugetsu follows the story of two peasant couples (some sources suggest that the men are brothers, but I found no reference to this in the film, though a different translation might have suggested this), living in sixteenth century Japan, during civil war. At first we meet Genjuro a potter who is preparing to travel to a larger village to sell his pots where there is a boom in the local economy due to the war. His wife Miyagi pleads to join him, but he suggests that she should stay to care for their son. Genjuro is joined by his foolish neighbor and assistant Tobei who despite the outrage of his wife Ohama, longs to be a successful samurai. Genjuro quickly returns home after making a great profit on the pots he has sold. He brings a handful of silver, and beautiful kimonos for his wife and son. This scene in particular is quite touching. As Miyagi holds up the beautiful Kimono that Genjuro has bought for her, she explains that it is his kindness that makes her happy, and that all she needs is for him to be with her. This theme will echo throughout the film.
Tobei soon returns home as well, after he is laughed out of town by the samurai, who suggest he come back when he has an armor and spear. His spirited wife Ohama berates him for being a foolish dreamer instead of a reliable husband.
Genjuro, driven almost mad with ambition, plans to return to town to make his fortune, throws everything he has into making the largest batch of pots as he can, promising 30% of the profits to Tobei. Before they are finished, their village is attacked, and they all flee to the forest for refuge. The couples sneak back to the village to salvage the pottery and decide to take it to the city across Lake Biwa by boat. On the foggy lake, they encounter a phantom boat, the only passenger is a dying man who's last gasp is a warning that there are pirates on the lake, and that their wares and women were in danger.
Fearing the pirates, Miyagi and her son are deposited on land to return safely home as the others journey to the city. Once at the city, Tobei makes the money to purchase the needed armor and spear to become a samurai, Ohama is lost, then raped, and becomes a prostitute, and Genjuro become the object of a Mysterious lady's affections. Each of the four characters are sent on a different journeys, each haunting and harrowing.
Ugetsu is a remarkable balance between fantasy and harsh reality. The cinematography is breathtaking. The camera is almost always moving, and often vertically (about 70% of the film was shot with a crane). Mizoguchi's obsessive attention to detail, bring the world of these people vividly to life. This is a world of textures, it is as if you can actually feel the silk and fog. I cannot recommend this film enough. Beautifully photographed and directed, with wonderful performances all around. Ugetsu is a lyrical masterpiece, as mysterious as a dream and as thoroughly unforgettable.