Although this picture was one of the top ten at the U.S./Canadian box office for 1934, I think "Queen Christina" is somewhat over- rated. Garbo of course is magnificent. Superbly costumed and superbly set, like an ultra-polished jewel in a perfect surround. What is not so perfect is the script, which tends to be much given to verbose speeches. All this talk is wonderful when Garbo is doing the speaking, but somewhat less than entrancing when mouthed by such second-rate players as Lewis Stone, Ian Keith and John Gilbert, whose collective acting style in this movie can only be described as old-fashioned declamatory or even hammy. Stone, alas, is by far the worst offender. The way he pitches his voice so that it has an uncanny knack of hogging the mike, the way he beats up with much facial grimacing his repetitious and woefully predictable lines, the way he gestures with his hands, the patent insincerity and hallow shamming of his whole manner, betoken the true ham, the third-rate thespian who has nothing to offer but the most superficial vocal and histrionic "tricks". Gilbert is a lot better. He's obviously trying hard to please, but obviously receiving little help from his dialogue coach. Not only does his voice have that celebrated odd timbre which seems to mis-match his image, but he tends to deliver his lines in a stiff, unnatural manner. Oh yes, there are times, I know, when he's quite effective. But these, alas, are in the minority. He's also hampered by being unflatteringly photographed — Daniels reserves all his best efforts for Garbo, really pouring on the light in her close-ups — and none too attractively costumed. Oddly enough, it's young Elizabeth Young and old Sir C. Aubrey Smith (who appears at first sight to be miscast) who alone bring a bit of credit to the support cast (though we will give Reginald Owen the benefit of the doubt by saying he is the victim of inept direction). Mamoulian is a great pictorial stylist, no doubt of that. Many of the images and visuals in Queen Christina linger long in the memory. The famous final fade-out close-up is not alone in nostalgic elegance and atmosphere. Many of the long shots — particularly those with Garbo framed like a child — are equally beautiful, equally haunting. The music score, sad to say, is awful. Worse still, executive producer Irving Thalberg's brother-in-law has contributed his usual remarkably tinny sound recording. Fortunately, this problem has been rectified to some extent on the current Warner Archive DVD.
Review of Queen Christina
