"The
World's Most Whispered About Film."
The world's
first glimpse of a 19 year-old Hedy Lamarr
occurs in the early moments of this 1930's
treasure as she sweeps across the screen in an
angelic wedding gown. This was to be the start
of a legendary career. This was our glorious
introduction to the most beautiful woman ever to
grace the silver screen.
It is Eva's (Lamarr) wedding night and her older
husband seems uninterested in her romantic
advances. She retreats to the lonely bed and, in
a beautiful scene, she fiddles with her wedding
ring as the realization of her marital mistake
overcomes her. The husband seems more interested
in neatness and order than he does in love.
Gustav Machaty uses gorgeous camera angles and
pristine shot framing to capture Lamarr's
considerable talent and beauty. With no words
spoken in the early part of the film, she is
able to grasp our sympathy, our hearts and our
support. It is that combination that prepared
the 1930's audiences for what they were about to
see as the film unfolded. 'Ecstasy' ('Extase') was
considered shocking for its time... Some thought
it to be scandalous.
She returns home to her father's estate and
files for divorce. The next day, she wakes with
a complete sense of freedom and happiness. She
just has to go outside and feel the freedom of
the countryside and fresh air. Eva goes for a
horseback ride and happens across a beautiful
lake. And in one of the most famous scenes in
film history, Hedy Lamarr became the first
person to ever appear nude in a major film. Her
frolic in the woods and her skinny-dipping
adventure in the lake were legendarily
scandalous. But the audiences couldn't stay
away. As with many of today's movies, the
controversy made it a must-see film.
Eva's mischievous adventure introduces her to a
handsome young man who helps her find her horse,
who had run off with her clothes. After an
awkward meeting, they eventually fall for each
other. Their first romantic rendezvous was
almost as controversial as the nude scene, with
its blatant waves of eroticism. However, Machaty
does beautiful work in these romantic moments.
Machaty creates one delightful moment, when Eva
literally seems to sink into her new lover,
using a gorgeous early camera trick.
It cannot be overstated how brave this
performance was on Lamarr's part. Many might
have presumed it was career suicide. Instead, it
gained her worldwide fame and caught the eye
Louis B Mayer, who signed her to a contract with
MGM. There are some truly erotic moments in this
film, even by today's raunchy standards. It is
impossible to imagine how they were received in
the 1930's. Again, Machaty was very clever with
his imagery, leaving a lot to the imagination.
But we all understand very well what we are
seeing and it is supremely well done.
The meeting of Eva's former husband and her
current lover is perhaps inevitable. However,
the consequences of that meeting are not. The
film takes a few unexpected turns in its final
act and it all makes for a great story and a
lovely debut on the grand stage of movie stardom
for Hedy Lamarr.
I highly recommend this once controversial, now
tame film and urge you to seek it out in its
restored form on DVD. It is easily worthwhile,
if only for the pleasure of seeing Hedy Lamarr.
But the story is compelling too and the
direction is ahead of its time. 'Ecstasy' is a
memorable early treasure.
©
Written by TC Candler
Richard
Propes' Comment
While I
don't elevate "Ecstasy" to the "A" range, I
mostly concur with TC on the magnificence of
Hedy Lamarr. When one considers the age of this
film, it's simply amazing to behold. It is
certainly tame by today's standards, but it's
still a remarkably beautiful film and so far
ahead of its time that I'd consider it a
must-see for any true fan of the history of
film.
Jacob
Hall's Comment
n/a
