GRETA GARBO is at her most attractive, photographed with great finesse and style for this "Mata Hari" kind of tale about a seductive woman who leads an entrapped man (CONRAD NAGEL) into a romance for ulterior purposes but soon falls in love with him.
The opening scenes are reminiscent of what Max Ophuls did with "Letter from an Unknown Woman" in recreating the romantic ambiance of old Vienna with horse-drawn carriages and gaslight. The lush atmosphere is combined with the stunning Garbo close-ups (full face or in profile) with back lighting that is extraordinarily beautiful.
Although the story is nothing to rave about, it does contain one of her most natural performances before the camera and she's certainly at the peak of her own brand of beauty.
Regretfully, not much can be said for CONRAD NAGEL as the Austrian officer. He practically disappears when shown in the same shot with Garbo and his overall performance is as bland as can be. Yet, the seduction scene before a blazing fireplace is extremely well staged and all it needed was John Gilbert as a replacement for Nagel.
Summing up: Although I'm not a big Garbo fan, this one is worth watching for the graceful Garbo alone.
The opening scenes are reminiscent of what Max Ophuls did with "Letter from an Unknown Woman" in recreating the romantic ambiance of old Vienna with horse-drawn carriages and gaslight. The lush atmosphere is combined with the stunning Garbo close-ups (full face or in profile) with back lighting that is extraordinarily beautiful.
Although the story is nothing to rave about, it does contain one of her most natural performances before the camera and she's certainly at the peak of her own brand of beauty.
Regretfully, not much can be said for CONRAD NAGEL as the Austrian officer. He practically disappears when shown in the same shot with Garbo and his overall performance is as bland as can be. Yet, the seduction scene before a blazing fireplace is extremely well staged and all it needed was John Gilbert as a replacement for Nagel.
Summing up: Although I'm not a big Garbo fan, this one is worth watching for the graceful Garbo alone.