Mme_Jannings Review of Svengali

Svengali (1931)

The pleasure to watch the classics

[10/10 · 18 July 2005]

I felt very touched by J. Barrymore's performance as Maestro Svengali, although I had already tasted the pleasure to watch this great actor in Grand Hotel. The movie is short to me, while the way it develops is slow as slow the way Maestro Svengali speaks, to give a more sense of fatality to the movie. The little resources that movie makers could use during those old times are more than enough to give an impact still to the spectators of our century. The eyes, the decorations, all is very well portrayed and gives an eerie feeling all through the movie. The scene where maestro svengali looks at his beloved (before the end of the movie) when he speaks slowly while crying in silence is a masterpiece.

I recommend this movie to people who want to discover more the classics, and those who like suspense and thriller movies.