Like Prince Prospero, Duke Lambert lives comfortably within the walls of his extravagant villa, keeping the dangers of the world at bay until a masked stranger brings unsettling reality to his guests. Director Mitchell Leisen and DP Charles Lang are synchronous in their talent as this story almost becomes mired in philosophical speeches and desires yet Land utilizes the cavernous villa and its wonderful set-design to frame the dialogues. This allows the story to transcend the mundane and become ethereal as if the villa itself exists in a bubble, lost amid the starry vacuum of space and existing outside of time.
The Duke’s family and friends race to his villa through a dangerous mountain road nearly killing an innocent flower vendor on the way. Chased by a cold dark shadow (or their own imagination) they arrive unharmed (even the vendor and his donkey are uninjured). Grazia, the Duke’s daughter is engaged to a seemingly caring man yet is haunted by the shadow on the road and her own doubts concerning the future. The lively party soon parts for the dream-realm yet Grazia remains alone in the courtyard, her mind and soul full of restless unfocused energy. She screams, bringing the others to her aid as she describes the cold shadowy form that stalked her in her contemplation. The Duke sends everyone to bed and has the servants secure the villa against intruders...but this intruder cannot be kept out: it is omnipresent. The shadow is Death and it soon takes physical form as Prince Sirki to experience the human fear of its touch, to understand why mortals fear the Reaper. After all, it is much simpler to die than to live (but not quite as enjoyable). The Duke’s reluctant agreement enjoins him to keep this dark secret from his family and guests or suffer the fatal consequences. But the fabled Prince courts physical desire and begins to learn to enjoy wine and the company of an admirer until he once again encounters Grazia, and discovers his need for love can transcend even our mortal coil. Yet for the time Death spends on holiday, no other deaths occur around the world: we see headlines concerning a fir in a Children’s Home (they miraculously survive), a race car driver survive a tremendous crash (the stock footage sure looks like the real driver may not have been so fortunate) and even Wars are without victim as weapons malfunction (like the Duke’s pistol). What remains unstated is the millions whose suffering is prolonged since Death is off the job!
The film is suffused with double-entendres as the guests speak of their fleeting desires while Death looks on impassively knowing the final illimitable Truth. Fredric March with his absurd accent is perfect as the personification of Death in its flawed human form, his mannered and reserved speaking seem as if he must concentrate to form words with his fleshy-mask. He’s naïve yet dangerously sincere and strangely compelling. Evelyn Venable as Grazia doesn’t need much range for her part but she commands it well as a dreamer, lost alone in the galaxies of her own mind. Charles Lang’s use of composition and space is astounding as he creates a vast ethereal environment totally within Academy ratio: no Cinemascope invention yet in Pre-Code! Lang detaches the characters from their surroundings in deep-focus shots, high-angles and uses an otherworldly on-set technique to capture Death’s shadow on film so its interactive and not an effect added post-production. This adds to the surreal reality and substance of the performances. Two great shots: when Prince Sirki meets Grazia and he walks up the winding staircase, Lang’s low-angle static shot keeps him in focus as he walks slowly away from the camera and upwards, his eyes never leaving hers! The second shot occurs when they meet in the courtyard and the camera only focuses upon their reflections in the fountain’s placid water, like ghosts captured in a mirrored insubstantial world. This film really deserves to be enjoyed on film or Blu-ray and a large screen to truly appreciate the use of Form. A small screen with lesser resolution may not diminish the powerful story but it does minimize the desired projection.
Prince Sirki and her make love in the final act (or, as the final act, so to speak), she states that she sees behind his charade and walks with him not through the valley of Death but into it! It’s a wonderful and sincere ending as Grazia choose Death to life alone. And Death has now experienced mortal fear; not that of the physical act of death but of losing the joy of our temporary existence. For ever and ever.
Final Grade: (B+)
