I would say that this is more for the Guitry completist than the average viewer. Essentially a Man of the Theatre Guitry discovered the advantages of remaking stage plays for the cinema and exploited to the full the extra techniques the second medium put at his disposal. As someone who had achieved huge success in the theatre as writer, director and actor it was natural that his thoughts were never far from the footlights witness his Debureau and as Opera is not a million miles from legit theatre he also offered La Maliban - although strangely enough there had been a similar entry (Maria Maliban) the previous year boasting Rossano Brazzi in a role similar to that of Guitry himself here. For me, Suzy Prim seems out of place anywhere but the first half of the twentieth century so it was disconcerting to find he be-wigged and gowned but other than that this is fine entertainment.
3 Reviews
Diva
dbdumonteil31 May 2009
This is the story of an opera star ,La Malibran.So it can be considered Guitry's foray into musicals .Maria Malibran's story (1808-1836) is told by her best friend ,countess Merlin (Suzy Prim).The worst thing she did in her short career was to marry Malibran (Sacha Guitry),a man who asked her to give up singing,then ,when he was short of the readies,to resume her career because "you do not have to be ashamed of the money you make when you are an artist".
Like in many movies,Guitry introduces great names in history:Lamartine ,Hugo,Rossini and even La Fayette ,a French Revolution survivor.Could be described as the rise and fall of a diva circa 1820.It's only in the last scenes that we feel Guitry's touch:death obsession is present in almost all his best movies;Like in his other biopic "Deburau" ,Guitry depicts the end of a legend : the mime could hand on the torch to his son;La Malibran ,who is dying ,hear a young singer :she makes her come and give her some advice.
Best scene: La Malibran,who knows she performs on stage for the last time ,begins to sing her own composition "death" .
"La Malibran" cannot be looked upon as one of Guitry's finest achievements but his fans won't waste their time if they give it a chance.
Like in many movies,Guitry introduces great names in history:Lamartine ,Hugo,Rossini and even La Fayette ,a French Revolution survivor.Could be described as the rise and fall of a diva circa 1820.It's only in the last scenes that we feel Guitry's touch:death obsession is present in almost all his best movies;Like in his other biopic "Deburau" ,Guitry depicts the end of a legend : the mime could hand on the torch to his son;La Malibran ,who is dying ,hear a young singer :she makes her come and give her some advice.
Best scene: La Malibran,who knows she performs on stage for the last time ,begins to sing her own composition "death" .
"La Malibran" cannot be looked upon as one of Guitry's finest achievements but his fans won't waste their time if they give it a chance.
Jean Cocteau. That's all
RainbowVic16 November 2019
This movie is a must see for all the people who love real much the French cinema, and also the cinema of the magnificent Jean Cocteau, one of my favorite writers. In this movie Cocteau not direct, not write, not produce anything, but he's an actor, and what an actor! In fact, he do the role of the great french poet and writer Alfred de Mussey, closed in his office and write his magical poetry, as Cocteau also do in his great work as a poet and writer. A masterpiece of the French cinema, and also of the magnificent, always great Cocteau. May he rest in peace.
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