10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
BABY, I'M YOURS..., February 22, 2004
This review is from: As You Desire Me [VHS] (VHS Tape)
This is a poorly executed film that is based upon a play by Luigi Pirandello. The film opens onto a high end supper club in Budapest, where violins are playing and a chanteuse, an amnesiac who calls herself Zara (Greta Garbo), is singing to a packed audience. The languorous and world weary Zara leaves the stage, pursued by a number of enamored and decidedly unattractive stage door Johnnies of all ages, and they proceed to paint the town red.
When they arrive at Zara's home, they are greeted by the mysterious Count Salter (Erich von Stroheim), the man with whom she lives. While Zara is busy entertaining all but the audience of this film, an artist named Tony Boffie (Owen Moore) enters their home, addressing her as Maria, a woman whose portrait he painted years ago and who has been missing for ten years. Zara suddenly decides to leave with Tony, leaving the Count in a snit.
Zara and Tony go to Italy where, it turns out, a certain Bruno Varelli (Melvyn Douglas) has been pining for his wife Maria for the past ten years. It appears that Maria had disappeared in the confusion of the Austrian invasion of Italy during Word War I. Zara has no recollection of her former life, yet she tries to meld in to this life that everyone but she recalls. It is also clear that her husband is still besotted by her, despite the long, lost years.
As time passes, Zara, now Maria, begins to look more and more like the woman that Tony Boffie painted, as some of the melancholia seems to leave her. Then, a series of twists and turns, as well as a malicious attempt by Count Salter to reclaim his former lover, turn the Varelli household upside down. The moment of truth has finally arrived.
This is a mediocre film that has Greta Garbo wearing a laughable, Jean Harlow style, platinum blonde wig during her Zara days. Disjointed in its telling of the story and poorly cast, the film plods along, sinking under its own torpor. The film has little to commend it, other than the ever alluring presence of Greta Garbo. It is no surprise that this film languished at the box office when first released. If one is not a Greta Garbo fan, one should deduct one star from my rating.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
It's worth it alone to just see the fashion, September 15, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: As You Desire Me [VHS] (VHS Tape)
In some instances it is difficult to believe the story and to make sense of the plot, however, just for the fashion alone, this is worth seeing. Garbo is her dramatic self, over acting in many instances, but for the day it was appropriate. She exudes her dramatic flair that is so typical and why she is so loved. But the fashion is dynamite.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Must!, November 24, 1999
This review is from: As You Desire Me [VHS] (VHS Tape)
Lore has it that this is the only time Garbo appears as a bleached blonde. This is one of my favorite films of all time & contains one of the sexiest love scenes I have ever seen - one passionate kiss that ranks in the top five kisses on film that I have ever seen. A MUST see for the Garbo or any period film fan. Yes she is the Drama Queen and overplays every line but no one does it as well as Garbo matter of fact her over-acting is refreshing in the face of all the under-acting we see nowadays. This film will surely be out of print soon so order it NOW.
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