Movie Reviewed: Anna Karenina (1935), Starring Greta Garbo and Frederic March
This is the tragic story of a married woman, Anna Karenina who falls in love with Count Vronsky, and follows her heart despite her husband's refusal to grant a divorce. Both Anna and Vronksy face a great deal of social repercussions. This is further complicated by her longing to see her son still living with husband. In this star-studded film, Greta Garbo offers an outstanding performance in the lead category as Anna Karenina in displaying her emotions. Once, director Clarence Brown stated that Garbo does not need gestures to convey happiness, despair, hope, joy or tragedy; she registers her feelings by radiating her thoughts to you. I became a believer of his observation after watching this movie. This film is strongly supported by the work of Fredric March, Maureen O'Sullivan, May Robson and Basil Rathbone.
According to author of the story, Tolstoy, the genesis of Anna Karenina was derived from two specific events; a story about a woman who deserts her husband for another man, based, in part, on the life of his sister Marya, and a newspaper story about the mistress of one of Tolstoy's neighbors, after being abandoned by her lover, hurls herself under a train. His epic story covered in 976 pages is masterfully condensed by the screen writer Salka Viertel, a close confidante of Greta Garbo. The movie is brilliantly directed by Clarence Brown, one of the proud possessions of MGM studios who worked with many of the industry's most illustrious performers. Anna Karenina is a human story and emerges as the masterpiece of man’s endless struggle to make sense of life while coming to terms with reality of material world where everyone wants nothing less than happiness.
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