KNIGHT WITHOUT ARMOUR
UK, 1937, 107 minutes, Black and white.
Robert Donat, Marlene Dietrich, John Clements, Irene Vanbrugh, Herbert Lomas.
Directed by Jacques Feyder.
Knight Without Armour is an old-fashioned adventure spy melodrama. It was said to bd one of the most lavish films made by Sir Alexander Korda for London Films before World War Two. Marlene Dietrich was brought over from America to play the leading role. Robert Donat at the height of his career was the hero. There were reconstruction# of Russian locations and forests in the London studios. The French director Jacques Feyder had been successful the year before with Carnival In Flanders. Music was by Miklos Rosza who was to compose most of the music for Korda's films and then had a successful career in America with M.G.M. especially with such spectacles as Quo Vadis and King of Kings. The story by James Hilton was very popular at the time and film versions of his novels in those years include Lost Horizon, Goodbye Mr Chips, Random Harvest.
1. An entertaining romantic adventure? A star vehicle? A look at Russia and the issues of the 20th century transition from the Russia of the Czars to Communist Russia?
2. The significance of the title and its focus on Fothergill as a knight and hero? A 20th century knight without old-fashioned armour? The focus on Britain and Russia? The knight and his ideology, his serving and protection of a lady? Other overtones of knighthood?
3. The episodic nature of the screenplay? Glimpses of particular incidents and characters rather than long development? Did this add to the impact of the film or not? Black and white photography, the film's frequent focus on Marlene Dietrich as heroine? The re-creation of pre-revolutionary Russia? the Siberian prisons, the countryside of Russia during the war between Red and White Russians? The background for adventure spectacle?
4. The atmosphere for the opening at Ascot, Britain in 1913? The atmosphere of World War One? The introduction to the major characters and the ironies of what was to come? The transition to the train and Fothergill and Alexandra both being in the audience as well as the characters being transported from the recognisable British world to that of Russia?
5. Russia in 1913, the atmosphere of the Czars and the extravagance of the court prior to the Revolution? Alexandra and her family embodying this? Her presentation at court and the lavish spectacle of the ball, her dress? The build-up to her marriage, the marriage procession and the sabotage? The attack on the Czars add their style? Her husband as voicing the opinion of the time and his eagerness to be at war? The films attitude towards Czarist Russia? As reflecting opinions in the 1930s?
6. The contract with Fothergill and his presence in Russia, as a writer, the sudden arrest by the police and the criticisms of his articles, his expulsion? His being asked to join the Secret Service and the changing of his identity? How credible? Was Fothergill a credible hero, knight without armour? His skills? His being linked with the sabotage at the wedding procession? the men dying in his apartment and his arrest?
7. The atmosphere of Siberia, the prison, a lost world? World War One and life going by the prisoners in Siberia? The sudden transition to the Revolution and the liberation of the prisoners, the authorities becoming Commissars?
8. The film's comment on the takeover by the Reds and the Commissars, withdrawals, making up? her wandering the palace, her coming out into the opening and confronting the authorities? her arrest? How well did this indicate the takeover of Czarist Russia?
9. The importance of the long scene at the railway station, the Red soldiers and the peasants and their attitude to the station master, pretending the trains were going? The number of people trying to get on the trains? Fothergill’s decision to help Alexandra? Did she want it? The bond growing between the two? The importance of the quoting of poetry - and Fothergill’s rendition of Browning, Alexandra's Russian poetry and the imminent danger? The attack and Alexandra’s shooting and saving Fothergill's life? The bond between the two, romance and love?
10. Alexandria's returning to the White Russians and her return to her original way of life, the bath, the discussion with the servant, her dresses, the banquet and the formality, her saving the face of the officer who wanted to stop her going in? The transition to the executions during the meal? The contrast with Fothergill wandering through the fort, being identified by the White Russians and being taken by them?
11. The build-up to the need form travel, the many people trying to get on the train? Fothergill and Alexandra and their being brother and sister? eventually getting on the train, the contrast of ideologies but the growing union of their understanding, love? The love scenes in the forest? The knight serving the lady? The importance of their being captured by the Red soldiers? The need for identification?
12. The similarity of treatment of prisoners by Red and White alike? The common executions? The importance of the young Commissar and the question of the photo and the identification of Alexandra, the stance that he took, the servant not identifying her? His being on the train and expressing his confusion, his fears? The suddenness of his death and its significance?
13. The separation of Alexandra and Fothergill? Fothergill and his being about to be executed by the White Russians? His fight, escape, his discovery of Alexandra's presence on the train,# their going off together - to what future?
14. What insight did the film offer into Russia, the Bolshevik Revolution, the nature of ideologies, relationship between men and women? love and death? A satisfying; adventure romance?
