Courtesans with TB

[dangermousie]

Who doesn't like a good melodrama? Yeah, plenty of people. But for those who do, isn't it fun to watch angst with beautiful women, handsome men, gorgeous costumes, and enough crying to keep an onion farm busy?

And as everyone knows, especially in older stories, if you are a Bad Woman, even if you reform and fall in love, you are doomed to die an early and tragic death. Getting more and more beautiful as your time approaches of course. See such 30s classics as Farewell to Arms and Wuthering Heights. But my favorite grand weepie of them all is a tale of a courtesan with TB who is redeemed by the love of a younger, naive man but gives him up to save him. A.k.a. Camille. If you think this sounds like Moulin Rouge, you are right.



When Baz Luhrman made Moulin Rouge, he took the story from Dumas-fils' classic novel "Camille" (if you want to read about a man exhuming the corpse of his beloved because he can't believe she is dead, this is the book for you), but that wasn't the first adaptation of it. This has been adopted many times: into a famous opera (la Traviata), a play, and a number of movies including a silent modernized version with Nazimova and Valentino (mostly notable for the insanity that is Nazimova's hair) and an 80s deadly-dull version with Colin Firth. My favorite of all these adaptations is the 30s weepie classic "Camille" with Greta Garbo and Robert Taylor. I am not the only one who likes it, because AFI voted it #33 on their "Love Stories" list.

This plot summary shows just how much Baz borrowed: Garbo takes self-sacrifice to a whole new level in this rendition of the classic tale of a kept woman who discovers what true love is in the arms of a handsome, honorable young man. Love may be a glorious experience, but when a lady depends on the favors of rich admirers to keep up her expensive lifestyle, it’s a luxury one cannot afford. Marguerite (Garbo) is one of the most sought after women in Paris and is content with her life of meaningless encounters and outrageous parties. Until she met the honest, sweet and charming Armand Duval (Taylor), she believed all men wanted from her was a good time. Armand sees past the party girl and makes an effort to get to know the woman underneath all the ruffles and jewels. Unfortunately, since he doesn't have enough money to support her, she’s forced to continue her relationship with Baron de Varville (Daniell), a man who doesn’t like to share his toys... Much angst ensues.

And here are some pictures. So yeah, go rent it. It's good I promise. Though nobody sings "Come What May"

Poster:


Confessing:


Mad:


Dying:

Comments

[crumpeteer.livejournal.com]

Because, of course, dying of TB by coughing your lung out is like the most glamourous way to kick out ever. You'd think the courtesans were dropping like flies to read any novels about them.

I really liked the book and thankfully, Baz Luhrman knew how to make a melodrama look spectacular and keep that star crossed lovers feel.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I thought MR was a great interpretation of the book. (For an example of how NOT to do it, check out the silent version. Horrible).

The idea of it being romantic to die from TB makes me roll my eyes. My favorite book of all time. E.M. Remarque's "Three Comrades" (the narrator is a WWI veteran in 20s Germany) features a central love story where the girl does die of TB (which was made worse by malnutrition during the war), and it's described and there is nothing romantic or beautiful about it. Just painful and ugly and so utterly heartbreaking. It's emabrassing but I almost cry just thinking of it. I wish someone would make a good movie about it. They did a movie based on it in late 30s, and it screwed up the story so badly it made me want to spit.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

P.S.

Check out this pic of Nazimova and Valentino from the silent version. Hee.

http://us.imdb.com/gallery/mptv/1094/Mptv/1094/3928_0014.jpg?path=gallery&path_key=0012027

[crumpeteer.livejournal.com]

I honestly can't tell who's wearing the most makeup.

Nazimova and Valentino, now THERE'S an interesting couple.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Considering that both Nazimova and Rambova (Valentino's wife who was also the set designer for the movie) were bi and UBER promiscuous, this might have made for an interesting set :D

I actually like Valentino in some movies. Not the atrocious The Sheik (still better than the book where it's clear that the way to a woman's heart is to rape her till she likes it), but "The Eagle" is light and funny, and he was excellent in Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

[crumpeteer.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm somehow more interested in what was going on on the set than in the actual movie. LOL, I've read Hollywood Babylon. I know that modern Hollywood scandal doesn't hold a candle to a lot of the stuff going on back then.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yeah. You don't hear so much about drug parties nowadays. And of course no one is Wallace Reid, dying of a drug O.D. because he's gotten hooked on drugs by the studio when he was in a train wreck and they didn't want him to miss any work. Scaaaaary.

[crumpeteer.livejournal.com]

Luhrman did a great job with his casting too. When you have a story that is fairly simplified, you concentrate on how your actors are going to make the thing believable. Kidman and Ewan were perfect for their roles, from Kidman's worldly but fragile ice goddess to Ewan's boyish but passionate young lover, it was great chemistry.

TB is an extremely nasty way to go and there's no "looking more angelic as you waste away" to it. And frankly, many young women and their mothers aspired to make them well kept courtesans. Compared to working in a factory or doing hard labor, being a courtesan could be very lucrative if you played your cards right.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

When you have a story that is fairly simplified, you concentrate on how your actors are going to make the thing believable

Yes of course. The key for MR was the casting. I am not a Kidman fan but she was perfect for the role. Her trademark coldness was just right. And Ewam reminded me of an eager puppy. You just couldn't bear to see him hurt in his eagerness.

And frankly, many young women and their mothers aspired to make them well kept courtesans.

Yeah, but can you imagine a Victorian novel with a happy courtesan? Dumas-fils' novel was scandalous as it was. Though Zola's "Nana" has a courtesan who is happy in her profession, she is also completely amoral and ruins all men weak enough to come under her sway (which is the only other acceptable courtesan stereotype).

[crumpeteer.livejournal.com]

Ewan did have an endearing, innocent, kind and very eager to please aspect to him, but didn't make Christian seem like a pushover. It was a good mix.

It's always funny to me that even books where the courtesan or immoral woman gets her comeupance everyone acted all aghast. How dare we speak of an integral part of our society! How dare a woman act like a man!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

It was a good mix

Indeedy.

It's always funny to me that even books where the courtesan or immoral woman gets her comeupance everyone acted all aghast. How dare we speak of an integral part of our society! How dare a woman act like a man!

But you notice how she always, but always, gets her comeuppance (Nana who I've mentioned up-post, dies of some infectuous desease, horribly alone).

[crumpeteer.livejournal.com]

Apparently no one liked to mention that many courtesans lived rather pleasant, lucrative lives and trained OTHER courtesans. And there was of course always a high demand for them.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

But that would be shockingly immoral. Those horrible hussies...