CONQUEST (MARIE WALEWSKA)
US, 1937, 113 minutes, Black and white.
Greta Garbo, Charles Boyer, Reginald Owen, Alan Marshal, Henry Stephenson, Leif Erickson, Dame May Whitty, Maria Ouspenskaya.
Directed by Clarence Brown.
Conquest/Marie Walewska is a period piece from the late 30s, an MGM lavish production in black and white, at the time when it was making such films as Marie Antoinette.
Charles Boyer portrays Napoleon. He encounters the Countess Marie Walewska, is infatuated by her but she resists. Later, Polish politicians persuade her to become the mistress of Napoleon to safeguard Polish interests. She humiliates her husband, goes to Napoleon, becomes pregnant. However, when Napoleon informs her that he is going to marry a princess from Austria to consolidate his empire, she leaves and does not tell the emperor that she is pregnant.
Charles Boyer is at home in the role of Napoleon. Greta Garbo gives on of her last dramatic performances as the tragic Marie Walewska – the kind of character she portrayed in Camille, Anna Karenina. The film was directed by Clarence Brown who also directed her in Anna Karenina as well as Anna Christie. Brown made a number of classics, especially in the 1940s with The Human Comedy, White Cliffs of Dover, The Yearling, National Velvet and Intruder in the Dust.
This film can be compared with other films about Napoleon and his relationships, especially Henry Koster’s Desiree (1954) with Marlon Brando as Napoleon, Jean Simmons as Desiree and Merle Oberon as the Empress Josephine.
1. How does this film compare with films of later eras? What differences of style, acting, content? Do thirties film still stand up well?
2. How important was the presence of Greta Garbo for this film? What did her personality add to the film? How was the film built around her? Was it successful?
3. How important were production values in this film? The sets, the historical scope, ware, balls, costume drama? How entertaining was the film? How entertaining was it meant to be in the thirties?
4. How important was the aura of Napoleon for this film? The Napoleonic wars and their impact, Napoleon as a person and leader, as a commander, his defeat, his character as a man in relationship to Marie and his children? Was Charles Boyer convincing as Napoleon? Why do audiences still have interest in Napoleon and his deeds?
5. How attractive a heroine was Marie? Her initial entrance after the Cossack destruction, her desperation and recklessness to meet Napoleon, her reaction to him? Her role at the Court, singled out at the ball, being used by Napoleon and by the Polish? The blackmail? Audience response to Marie being used? Sympathy for Count Walewska? Marie and her devotion to Napoleon and her facing public opinion? The reasons for her decisions to go to Paris? Her love for Napoleon and bearing his son? His relationship to Napoleon's mother? Why did she reject Napoleon at his marriage? Why did she return to Elba? To help him escape? The emotional impact of her visit to him after Waterloo, and bringing her son, not telling him of fatherhood? How was Marie presented as a woman? As a nineteenth century woman? As a patriot, embroiled in patriotism and marital fidelity and love? Did the film give true insight into the complexities of such a lie?
6. What insight into Napoleon as a man did the film give? His shrewdness and ambitions? His drive? His human needs in relating to his mother, to Marie, to his children? His rejection of Josephine and his marriage to the Austrian princess? His desperate need to have a son?
7. The importance of Napoleon's mother and her influence on him? Her relationship to Marie? The role of Napoleon's advisers and the wisdom of their advice?
8. What insight into marriage and love did the film give? To true sentiment and feeling, and ambitions?
9. What insight into war did the film give? Napoleon’s ambitions and his causing of so much suffering? The joy at victories, the despair in the retreat? The importance of the interview with the soldier who died? How did the film show his upsetting society, morals, standards?
10. Was the dramatic form of the film satisfactory? Did it provide enough depth for exploration of characters and situations?
11. Did the film have a sense of history? Or was it meant to be merely a romance? How successful was it? Did it portray the realities of human beings, their joys and sufferings?
