Film Forum

U.S., 1928
Directed by Josef von Sternberg
Starring Emil Jannings, Evelyn Brent, William Powell
WINNER Academy Awards® – Best Actor (Emil Jannings), 1929
Approx. 85 min. DCP. 

Brutal czarist general Emil Jannings dishes it out as the Revolution looms, then years later finds himself in another dangerous spot: as a penniless Hollywood extra directed by ex-Bolshie William Powell.

Reviews

“Sternberg examines each agonized detail of the onetime commander’s humiliation in Hollywood with piercing discernment.”
– Richard Brody, The New Yorker

“Emil Jannings gives a highly gifted and gripping portrayal of the last moments of the bent and bowed czarist generalissimo working as an extra in a motion picture studio.”
– Mourdant Hall, The New York Times

“The sheer sophistication of Sternberg's visuals makes nearly all current releases look old-fashioned.”
– Time Out

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