Of all the films made about great painters Alexander Korda's "Rembrandt" is still one of the most visually astonishing. Almost every frame, (designer is Vincent Korda and the DP, the great Georges Perinal), is a work of art in itself and Charles Laughton, in the title role, is like a self-portrait come to life. Unfortunately, it ends there. Korda was a dreadfully pedestrian director and this fairly limps along, not helped by the terrible dialogue and some very wooden acting from the supporting cast, including a very shrill Gertrude Lawrence. Only the great Elsa Lanchester comes close to delivering a real character and her scenes with Laughton give the film a much needed lift. Had this been a silent picture, it might really have been something.
Review of Rembrandt
