Saturday, June 22, 2024

Pygmalion (1938)

Based on the play by George Bernard Shaw which premiered in Vienna (in German) in 1913 and in London (in English) in 1914.

A phoneticist makes a bet that he can teach a flower seller to talk like a person from the nobility.

This follows the strange pattern of so many films of that era, starting out as though it were approaching an important or interesting social theme and later simply shifting into a purely romantic conflict. The way the character Eliza moves and speaks after her transformation resembles that of an automaton, which draws a weird parallel with Hoffmann's short story The Sandman. Despite lacking any kind of depth, this film is entertaining on a scene-by-scene basis.

Rating: 51

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