A sanctimonious young man (Lewis Stone) falls for an opera singer (Greta Garbo) who has a bad reputation because she carries on with men (sigh, and grr). "Perhaps I'm not the marrying kind either", purrs Garbo, through her thick accent, though she's far from a floozy. The big question is whether they should break it off because of their differences and her "fallen" status, and ultimately, despite their love, they do. The story is told by Stone, in his old age now, to his grandson. He's carried a torch for Garbo all these years, and councils him to marry for love, regardless of the circumstances.
The ending is a nice touch, but I didn't care much for the characters, and was mystified by how Garbo was nominated for an Oscar after butchering so many lines. This is one of those movies that really does feel old, complete with comical special effects on a toboggan slope (I believe the one outdoor scene in the movie) with an obviously filmed backdrop, a look you now see parodied on shows like Saturday Night Live.
A couple of nice quotes though: "How would you like it if I drink to what I see in your eyes, and you drink to what you see in mine?"
"Let me tell you something that I hope you will remember. Yesterday is a dream we have forgot. Tomorrow is the hope for some great happiness that will never come. Before, behind – just clouds and shadows. Nothing is real but this little minute that we call today."
The ending is a nice touch, but I didn't care much for the characters, and was mystified by how Garbo was nominated for an Oscar after butchering so many lines. This is one of those movies that really does feel old, complete with comical special effects on a toboggan slope (I believe the one outdoor scene in the movie) with an obviously filmed backdrop, a look you now see parodied on shows like Saturday Night Live.
A couple of nice quotes though: "How would you like it if I drink to what I see in your eyes, and you drink to what you see in mine?"
"Let me tell you something that I hope you will remember. Yesterday is a dream we have forgot. Tomorrow is the hope for some great happiness that will never come. Before, behind – just clouds and shadows. Nothing is real but this little minute that we call today."