Grand Hotel (1931/32)

PLOT SUMMARY:

A group of very different individuals staying at a luxurious hotel in Berlin deal with each of their respective dramas.

AWARDS:

Wins:  Best Picture

Nominations:  None

BOB:

Alright, we're back a little quicker than the last time around with Grand Budapest Hotel, and a more positive review is on its way... I think.  First, a little real talk.  The first decade or so of Best Picture winners is kind of a slog to get through (especially for those who aren't film buffs), and there weren't many movies from that period that I was really looking forward to going in.  Grand Hotel was an exception, however.  I found the premise very intriguing, as the film was basically a 1930's Ocean's 11 in terms of star power.  Lionel Barrymore, Joan Crawford, and Wallace Beery all have Oscars on their mantle (or would if they were alive), and Greta Garbo (who would later receive an honorary Oscar) and John Barrymore were two of the biggest stars of their time.  I also thought the plot was promising, as I generally like movies that center around a variety of quirky characters going in and out of each other's lives over the course of a few days (think stuff by Robert Altman or, more recently, Paul Thomas Anderson).  So the question for me was whether this movie would provide a pay off on the (modest) hopes that I had for it.  And I think it did for the most part.  Since I've already rambled on a bit, I'll pass it off to Amanda... did this one get the taste of Cimarron out of your mouth or make you rue the day you had the idea to start this 86 (!) part blog?

AMANDA:

I have to say, this one restored my faith in this movie blog endeavor. As is often the case, I wasn’t sure what to expect as we started this one. I saw that it was almost two hours long and worried that we wouldn’t be writing this post for another two months… Fortunately, it caught my attention from the beginning. I found the quirky characters to be very entertaining.

The opening scene introduces you to all the characters, though it’s very confusing at first without knowing the backgrounds of any of the characters. Each person is talking on the payphones in the hotel lobby, but you only see pieces of each conversation. There's one character, Dr. Otternschlag, who repeats over and over, "People come and go. Nothing ever happens." I think he's right. For the most part, this movie was just a snippet of their lives and then it moves on at the end and the hotel stays the same (though there were a few noteworthy events during those couple days - I won't spoil them for our loyal fans). It almost reminded me of a Woody Allen film - I think he tends to do that. What did you think?

BOB:

First of all, if you were wary of this movie's two hour running time, you are going to be in for a real surprise when we get to some of the near-hour epics like Gone With the Wind and Ben-Hur.

Secondly, I'm glad you brought up the line "People come and go.  Nothing ever happens."  I think that perfectly summed up the theme of the film without being too heavy-handed.  Basically, we get in and we get out, getting only a brief snapshot into these character's lives.  The movie worked for me too.  It took a little bit to get going, but I very much enjoyed the third act where all of the character's individual storylines came together with a bang.  My only issue, and it's relatively minor, is that I wish there would have been more characters added to the mix.  In my opinion, Grand Hotel dragged a bit at times because I didn't think any of the five lead characters were quite strong enough to carry the load.  I would have liked to have seen a few more characters and subplots added (like those Altman and Anderson films that I mentioned earlier, which utilized 15+ characters) to move things along a little quicker.  Agree or disagree?

AMANDA:

I’m not sure I agree completely. I think there could have been a couple more characters to make things more dynamic, but considering that it’s from 1932, I think they did a good job. When you compare it to the movies we’ve seen so far, I think this one picked up the pace – finally. Once the characters came to know each other, the drama started, and things got really entertaining. However, I do think that if you consider how far movies have come, I think you’re definitely right. This film is much less complicated than what we’re used to watching now – it’s simpler and has a smaller cast.

As for the long movies coming up, I'm really going to have to psych myself up. I wonder how many times we'll have to sit down and start them over.

BOB'S FINAL THOUGHTS:

All in all, I enjoyed Grand Hotel and would recommend it to aspiring film buffs.  My only criticism of the film is that I wish it would have aimed a little higher and packed in more hotel-goers.  But asking for a film to operate on as grand a scale I've become accustomed to by Short Cuts and Magnolia is easier said than done.  Ultimately, though, this film did enough for me and holds up well enough eight years later to give it a thumbs up.

The only other film I've seen from 1932 is Tod Browning's exceptionally bizarre circus drama Freaks, which unsurprisingly was far too strange for the Academy to pay much attention to.  In my estimation, Grand Hotel is a worthy Best Picture winner, and should end up near the top half of my list when all is said and done.

AMANDA'S FINAL THOUGHTS:

This movie was a big improvement when compared to the Oscar winners that came before it. It seemed to be a little more complex and really kept my attention. I haven’t seen any other movies from 1932, but I’m hoping this is a sign that they’ll be improving!

IMPRESS YOUR FRIENDS!:

Although they never appeared on screen together in Grand Hotel, Joan Crawford and Greta Garbo were often at odds with other during filming.  Crawford made Garbo angry by intentionally showing up late to the set and playing Marlene Dietrich (who Garbo, for some reason, hated) records in between takes, and Garbo only agreed to appear in the film after the director promised to bill her, and her alone, by just her last name in the opening credits, an honor reserved for only the biggest stars of the time. #catfight

One more bonus bit of trivia is that the five aforementioned lead actors in Grand Hotel combined for a remarkable twelve (nine of them failed) marriages between them.  And that includes Greta Garbo, who never married, but had a tawdry, Lohanesque relationship history as well.  This has nothing to do with the film, but I found it entertaining.

NEXT UP:

Cavalcade