Alexander Korda's Private Lives

The 16th set in Criterion's stripped-down Eclipse series (with no extras beyond liner notes) offers four historical dramas made in the mid-1930s by Alexander Korda (1893-1956)—the producer who revitalized the British film industry—three of which he also directed. The best-known, and most enjoyable, is The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933), a cynical romp starring Charles Laughton, who won an Oscar for his outsized turn as the mercurial, lustful king. Actually, however, Rembrandt (1936), which finds Laughton delivering a subtle and subdued performance, is a cinematically more imaginative film, using lighting and careful composition to suggest the artist's style of painting. The Private Life of Don Juan (1934), a heavy-handed whimsical piece in which the titular aging lothario fakes his death in the hopes of reemerging with his legend enhanced, is weighed down by a broad and coarse performance by Douglas Fairbanks Sr. (who retired immediately afterward). Finally, The Rise of Catherine the Great (1934), directed by Paul Czinner, is a lavish but inert costume drama covering a period ranging from the German princess' (Elizabeth Bergner) marriage to Grand Duke Peter (Douglas Fairbanks Jr.) to her husband's accession to the throne (and quick deposition) some 17 years later. While the collection is uneven, Korda was an important presence in international filmmaking between the wars, and this set offers a good introduction to his work. Recommended. (F. Swietek)