Customer Reviews

The Wedding March [VHS]

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Originally scripted to be a five hour movie (the second half was shown in South America and then the last copy destroyed in a Paris fire), this two hour version still stands on its own quite well and contains lots of brilliant set pieces. If you did not know that it was meant to be longer, you would assume that it ended as seen here-on a very ironic note. After "Greed" and "Foolish Wives", this is the one to see. Stroheim was aiming at a drama that was a loving farewell to the pre-World War I world. This is a romance mixed with the usual Stroheim fascination with the human corruption that inevitably results when individuals put money and power over love. Fay Wray is lovely here and Von Stroheim does a great job as the prince. Contains a rare technicolor episode for the Corpus Christi celebration. Very enjoyable. Don't miss the early morning scene between the less-than-happily-married royal couple!

The Wedding March is a beautiful movie, full of interesting symbolism (like the repeated image of the pig). The story of a prince who falls in love with a poor girl at the same time that he's considering marrying an heiress will make you weep. I know it did me because it is a timeless plot and could very well happen today. Fay Wray is really good as the girl, and Stroheim excels as the prince. The color sequences were very well done, considering that the film was made in the late 20s. As a film buff and student, I highly recommend The Wedding March.

This film is just fabulous. While it is 113 minutes long, it is unfortunately just a teaser for what might have been. Originally this film was to have two parts - and the ending of the second is where Stroheim's Prince Nicki redeems himself. It is really a shame that this directorial genius was, time and again, censored in his work. However, even in its truncated form, this film is definitely worth seeing. The version that I purchased even includes the color scene intact - rare in a video release of any silent film. Von Stroheim is just the greatest director ever - please see this film as well as his absolute masterpiece Greed (unfortunately also cut to ribbons, but still, in my opinion, the greatest film ever made!)

I feel me terribly unhappy because this film is inaccessible to me: living in Russia, I cannot even buy the VHS (to Russia do not deliver), - why is this masterpiece now not published on DVD?

As the film exists today, Stroheim echoes the Apostle Paul's famous words: "The love of money is the cause of all kinds of evil." Indeed, symbols of Christ and Christianity abound in this movie, the message of which seems to emphasize the aristocratic emptiness we still celebrate. The late Fay Wray, very lovely here, deserves so much to be remembered for more than KING KONG. Her performance is excellent as the used and betrayed lover, and, quite frankly, her performance is the best thing about the film, except, perhaps, for some of the lighting, despite the director's arrogance. Source material for this release varies, from near excellent to poor, but it is wonderful we still have this masterpiece.