Henny Porten is far too old for the role of Anne Boleyn who, the script tells us, is such a super-attractive wench that the king severs with Rome when the Pope refuses him a divorce so that he can marry her. Porten is a very hammy actress too, with as much simpering and eye-rolling as you wouldn't believe. On the other hand, Emil Jannings really looks the part of Henry VIII, In fact he seems to have stepped straight out of Holberg's famous portrait. Admittedly, his acting is a bit exaggerated, but tolerable. And the same applies to most of the players as well. Visually, the movie is spectacular enough and the plot, though familiar, moves along with sufficient pace to retain our interest. On the other hand, Lubitsch's direction is rather disappointing. It's very straightforward with virtually no camera movement at all and little evidence of the fabled Lubitsch touch. In fact, the only stylish quality evident in the direction here is the occasional use of framing devices. Disappointingly, the 1983 print under review does not use Reisenfeld's music score but a just passably appropriate melange of string orchestra, harpsichord and choir rendering vaguely Elizabethan airs. Despite the very washed-out print currently on offer, Sparkuhl's photography still manages to shine in certain scenes – the tournament, e.g. Available on a Kino Video DVD.
Review of Deception
