REMBRANDT (66)

Directed by: Alexander Korda (1936)

Starring: Charles Laughton, Gertrude Lawrence, Elsa Lanchester

The Pitch: Episodes in the life of the great painter, focusing on his refusal to compromise his Art (and consequent financial troubles).

Theo Sez: A box-office flop with a reputation as a prestigious bore, yet in fact it turns Rembrandt into an archetypal 30s hero, as much a populist (refusing to kowtow to royalty and "gentlemen of rank") as anyone out of Capra and LaCava, as free-spirited as the gangsters and show people of the decade's Warner movies. That it nonetheless views him without triumphalism, or even much optimism - leaving the painter alone, starving, and bemoaning that "all is vanity" - may be the (highly honourable) reason for its failure and, admittedly, it leaves the film feeling a little pointless (it treats the ups and downs of Rembrandt's life with the same respectful equanimity). Its main attractions remain visual, and even a viewer - like this one - unqualified to pinpoint the precise similarities between the film's style and its subject's can appreciate the incredible Amsterdam sets (are those skies painted?) and the many medium close-ups against milky back-light (including an amazing high-angle shot of Lawrence looking positively feline). A clearer viewpoint on the artistic dedication it depicts would've made it a classic.