Review of Conquest

It's no wonder Garbo couldn't get arrested in Hollywood as the 30s concluded. She made so many bad talkies, including this snoozefest. I didn't believe a single minute of this movie. Napolean surely had better things to do than pursue this dowdy harpie of a princess, who exudes the sex appeal of the Polish national soccer team. Garbo probably didn't understand a word she was speaking. She's just reading lines. In fact, her chemistry with every talkie co-star other than John Gilbert is absolutely non-existent. Garbo is basically the 1930s version of Gerard Depardieu - uttering her lines phonetically. Boyer does a nice job portraying a rather playful Napolean, though it's not how I pictured one of history's most notorious war-mongers and butchers. As for that old boot and her screaming match with Boyer over the card game, garrrrr, so irritating. Was that supposed to be comic relief? Talkies killed so many brilliant silent careers. It's a wonder it took so long for Garbo to get put to rest.