Review / Analysis
It is not hard to see why Anatole Litvak’s Mayerling is widely
considered one of the greatest of cinematic love stories. It is a
tear-jerker of exceptional quality, played and directed with such
delicacy that it avoids the histrionic artifice and heavyhanded
emotional legerdemain to which most romantic melodramas are
prone. Captivating performances from the leads, Charles Boyer and
Danielle Darrieux, and some inspired camerawork combine to make this a
beautifully crafted hymne à
l’amour.
For a film of this era, Mayerling is visually stunning. Lavish sets and costumes provide an authentic recreation of the court of the Hapsburgs in 19th century Vienna, whilst the moody chiaroscuro cinematography convey a chilling sense of oppression and transience that lends the tragic denouement an exquisite poignancy and poetry. You can almost feel the cruel hand of fate that is guiding the star-crossed lovers to their miserable ill-deserved destiny, so palpable is the aura of doom that pervades this film, even from the opening shot.
Mayerling is a faithful adaptation of Claude Anet’s novel Idyll’s End, which is based on a true story concerning the death of the Austrian prince Archduke Rudolph. With little in the way of historical fact to go on, the novel constructs a plausible (but by no means proven) explanation of known events, speculating that Rudolph’s demise was the tragic outcome of a scandalous extra-marital romance. (Other theories include the possibility that the Archduke was the victim of a political assassination.)
Widely acclaimed when it was released in 1936, Litvak’s Mayerling quickly proved to be an international success. It granted passage to Hollywood for its lead actor, Charles Boyer, and director Anatole Litvak, who both achieved immense success in America. The film’s lead actress, Danielle Darrieux was just 17 when she worked on this film, yet her performance shows remarkable charm and maturity and is simply spellbinding. Darrieux went on to become one of France’s most respected film stars, an icon of French cinema in the 1940s and 1950s.
This film makes a striking contrast with its more lavish 1968 remake, which was directed by Terence Young and starred Catherine Deneuve and Omar Sharif. Remakes are seldom as good as the original, but the 1968 version of Mayerling is especially disappointing - a cold, stilted work that has none of the passion, humanity and lyricism which make Litvak’s film a timeless masterpiece.
© James Travers 2003-2010
Write a review for this film...
For a film of this era, Mayerling is visually stunning. Lavish sets and costumes provide an authentic recreation of the court of the Hapsburgs in 19th century Vienna, whilst the moody chiaroscuro cinematography convey a chilling sense of oppression and transience that lends the tragic denouement an exquisite poignancy and poetry. You can almost feel the cruel hand of fate that is guiding the star-crossed lovers to their miserable ill-deserved destiny, so palpable is the aura of doom that pervades this film, even from the opening shot.
Mayerling is a faithful adaptation of Claude Anet’s novel Idyll’s End, which is based on a true story concerning the death of the Austrian prince Archduke Rudolph. With little in the way of historical fact to go on, the novel constructs a plausible (but by no means proven) explanation of known events, speculating that Rudolph’s demise was the tragic outcome of a scandalous extra-marital romance. (Other theories include the possibility that the Archduke was the victim of a political assassination.)
Widely acclaimed when it was released in 1936, Litvak’s Mayerling quickly proved to be an international success. It granted passage to Hollywood for its lead actor, Charles Boyer, and director Anatole Litvak, who both achieved immense success in America. The film’s lead actress, Danielle Darrieux was just 17 when she worked on this film, yet her performance shows remarkable charm and maturity and is simply spellbinding. Darrieux went on to become one of France’s most respected film stars, an icon of French cinema in the 1940s and 1950s.
This film makes a striking contrast with its more lavish 1968 remake, which was directed by Terence Young and starred Catherine Deneuve and Omar Sharif. Remakes are seldom as good as the original, but the 1968 version of Mayerling is especially disappointing - a cold, stilted work that has none of the passion, humanity and lyricism which make Litvak’s film a timeless masterpiece.
© James Travers 2003-2010
Write a review for this film...
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Related links
- The best French romantic films
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Synopsis
In the late 1880s, Archduke Rudolph is the crown prince of Austria, a rebellious young
man who prefers the company of ordinary folk to that of the nobility. In an attempt
to curb his son’s wayward spirit, the Emperor Frantz Joseph forces him into an arranged
marriage and has him constantly tailed by his spies. The young prince is undeterred
and, skilfully evading his father’s spies, he visits a fair incognito. Here, he
meets a young woman, Marie, who, in contrast to the women of his father’s court, exudes
warmth and kindness. With Marie at first oblivious to the prince’s identity,
the young couple embark on an idyllic romance. Nothing, it seems, can spoil
their perfect happiness...
© filmsdefrance.com 2012
© filmsdefrance.com 2012
Credits
- Director: Anatole Litvak
- Script: Claude Anet (novel), Joseph Kessel (dialogue), Irma von Cube, Marcel Achard
- Photo: Jean Isnard, Armand Thirard
- Music: Arthur Honegger, Hans May
- Cast: Charles Boyer (L’archiduc Rodolphe), Danielle Darrieux (Marie Vetsera), Marthe Régnier (La baronne Vetsera), Yolande Laffon (L’archiduchesse Stéphanie), Suzy Prim (La comtesse Larisch), Gina Manès (Marinka), Odette Talazac (La nourrice de Marie), Nane Germon (Anna Vetsera), Nine Assia (La cousine de Marie), Christiane Ribes (Une fille), Gabrielle Dorziat (L’impératrice Élisabeth), Jean Dax (L’empereur François-Joseph), Jean Debucourt (Le comte Taafe), André Dubosc (Loscheck), René Bergeron (Szeps), Vladimir Sokoloff (Le chef de la police), Raymond Aimos (Le premier policier), André Siméon (Le second policier), André Fouché (Georges Vetsera), Jean Davy (Le comte Hoyos), Jacques Berlioz (L’aide de camp), Fernand Ledoux (Philippe de Cobourg), Léon Arvel (Petit rôle), Junie Astor (Une demi-mondaine), Jean-Louis Barrault (Un étudiant)
- Country: France
- Language: French
- Support: Black and White
- Runtime: 96 min
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