I must admit that I fell asleep while watching this movie. It is simply too long. People who are interested in Ernst Lubitsch's work before he went to Hollywood might find it interesting, though. As a matter of fact, it is a well directed movie. Maybe there are no classical Lubitsch touches to be found. Nonetheless, I found the way the story was presented original and engrossing. There are many superbly choreographed mass scenes on stage sets as well as in outdoor settings.
There can be no doubt that the makers of Anna Boleyn wanted to accomplish an artistic achievement. The set design and especially the wardrobe are fantastic. The people responsible for that must have made a thorough study of period paintings. I had the impression that many poses of the actors were also derived from Renaissance painting. Lubitsch's task might have been to lighten the whole thing up, and I could not say he did a bad job. My favorite scene is a kind of a summer entertainment for the king. On a large meadow a group of people play something like badminton, but they are evenly distributed over the whole area, and the balls fly in all directions. It happens what must happen, Anne Boleyn's ball lands at the feet of the king who already had an eye on her and seizes a racket to challenge her. The next ball lands in a grotesquely artificial copse with high weeds into which both the king and Anna plunge, together with the court jester.
An interesting detail: the movie has on several occasions shots of people with different aspect ratios from the other shots. The aim seems to be to highlight certain bodies or poses by framing them. This intensifies the reference to classical artwork but also irritates when there are quick cuts between a special focus and a more general aspects.
There can be no doubt that the makers of Anna Boleyn wanted to accomplish an artistic achievement. The set design and especially the wardrobe are fantastic. The people responsible for that must have made a thorough study of period paintings. I had the impression that many poses of the actors were also derived from Renaissance painting. Lubitsch's task might have been to lighten the whole thing up, and I could not say he did a bad job. My favorite scene is a kind of a summer entertainment for the king. On a large meadow a group of people play something like badminton, but they are evenly distributed over the whole area, and the balls fly in all directions. It happens what must happen, Anne Boleyn's ball lands at the feet of the king who already had an eye on her and seizes a racket to challenge her. The next ball lands in a grotesquely artificial copse with high weeds into which both the king and Anna plunge, together with the court jester.
An interesting detail: the movie has on several occasions shots of people with different aspect ratios from the other shots. The aim seems to be to highlight certain bodies or poses by framing them. This intensifies the reference to classical artwork but also irritates when there are quick cuts between a special focus and a more general aspects.