A Woman Of Affairs (1928) :
Brief Review -
Remarkable Greta Garbo in MGM's Classic Adaptation of The Green Hat. A tragic and moving tale of moral love that nowdays is termed worthless. Two childhood sweethearts are kept from marrying and the rest of the narrative follows the miseries and conflicts everybody faces. There is romance, friendship, bonding, relationship, separation, new relations, sacrifices, tragedy and decency everything to make this one a high end melodrama. MGM's high production values makes it shine the way it deserves. I am shocked to see that they made such a morally strong and dramatic romance way back in 1928 and with so much intellectualism in it. I have hated so many Hollywood classics for the immoral and unethic romance during 40s and 50s decade, I even hated the modern ones made post 60s and 90s and even today i hate them. This film came like 9 decades ago and i still find it so valuable and generous. There are four people involved in this mess of love but still the film manages to keep the decency intact. I learnt that they removed some controversial elements like Homosexuality and Syphilis, yet it made sense with fundamental conflicts that looked so normal and regular. The impact was the most important thing there and i don't know how but somehow i enjoyed it. I was hooked to it. Garbo is remarkable as Diana. The woman who loved only one man and sacrifice her honor and life for him, yet she was defamed for being disloyal. Late 20s tragedy couldn't have gotten better than this. The use of her Finger Ring is so smart and that last frame! John Gilbert, Johnny Brown and Dorothy Sebastian are superb in their roles. What impressed me the most is that the way Clarence Brown found an intelligent getaway through this mess of love triangle/quarter which many films have failed to do by keeping morality and decency alive. Overall, a timeless and influential Romantic Tragedy Drama.
RATING - 8/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Remarkable Greta Garbo in MGM's Classic Adaptation of The Green Hat. A tragic and moving tale of moral love that nowdays is termed worthless. Two childhood sweethearts are kept from marrying and the rest of the narrative follows the miseries and conflicts everybody faces. There is romance, friendship, bonding, relationship, separation, new relations, sacrifices, tragedy and decency everything to make this one a high end melodrama. MGM's high production values makes it shine the way it deserves. I am shocked to see that they made such a morally strong and dramatic romance way back in 1928 and with so much intellectualism in it. I have hated so many Hollywood classics for the immoral and unethic romance during 40s and 50s decade, I even hated the modern ones made post 60s and 90s and even today i hate them. This film came like 9 decades ago and i still find it so valuable and generous. There are four people involved in this mess of love but still the film manages to keep the decency intact. I learnt that they removed some controversial elements like Homosexuality and Syphilis, yet it made sense with fundamental conflicts that looked so normal and regular. The impact was the most important thing there and i don't know how but somehow i enjoyed it. I was hooked to it. Garbo is remarkable as Diana. The woman who loved only one man and sacrifice her honor and life for him, yet she was defamed for being disloyal. Late 20s tragedy couldn't have gotten better than this. The use of her Finger Ring is so smart and that last frame! John Gilbert, Johnny Brown and Dorothy Sebastian are superb in their roles. What impressed me the most is that the way Clarence Brown found an intelligent getaway through this mess of love triangle/quarter which many films have failed to do by keeping morality and decency alive. Overall, a timeless and influential Romantic Tragedy Drama.
RATING - 8/10*
By - #samthebestest.