Movie Reviewed: Mata Hari (1931), starring Greta Garbo and Ramon Novarro
The love story of Mata Hari
Was Mata Hari a spy for Germany? Did she betray France? Or was she a free spirited woman living in France, in early twentieth century, emulating other performers like Isadora Duncan and Ruth St. Denis, the female revolutionaries of exotic dance and entertainment in Paris. In this MGM classic of 1931, starring Greta Garbo and Ramon Novarro, Garbo offers a stunning performance as Mata Hari, a German spy but falls in love with a young Russian officer named Lieutenant Alexis Rosanaff (Ramon Novarro). It was one of her several glamorous movie roles and the story start with a seductive Mata Hari style dance that is quite erotic. Ben Mickiewicz said on TCM that the dance may have been done by a stand-in. However, historical figure Mata Hari, in real life was very promiscuous, flirtatious, and openly flaunted her body. She captivated her audiences with her seductive acts at the Musée Guimet in Paris. She posed as a Java princess born to priestly Hindu family, and deeply immersed in the art of sacred Indian dance. She imagined the dance movement of Hindu God Nataraja which is portrayed in a deeply insensitive manner in this film. The artistic performance must not be hurtful to the religious sentiments of others.
Ramon Novarro made an effective romantic foil in their only movie together. Lionel Barrymore, Lewis Stone and Karen Morley performed splendidly in their supporting roles in this George Fitzmaurice directed film. Though the title character was real, the events in the film are mostly fictional, and when this film was in production, it was rumored that Greta Garbo and Ramon Novarro were having an affair. But this couldn't have been the case since both had gay orientation. But they became very good friends after this movie. Mata Hari was certainly a box office hit that went on to make $2.23 million in total revenue. I very much enjoyed this movie and it is strongly recommended!
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