Mata Hari (1931) User Reviews

Campy, but fun

[overseer-3 · 8/10 · 9 December 2003]

"Mata Hari" is a pre-code film that took lots of liberties with the real life story of the World War One spy, but who cares? One watches a film like this to enjoy the old stars in action, including Lionel Barrymore, hamming it up sans wheelchair. Though Garbo has never been one of my favorites I enjoyed her performance here; she smiled quite a bit and never once said she wanted to be alone. Most of the time she just wanted to be with handsome Ramon Novarro, and who could blame her?

Funniest moment to me: Ramon's character is obviously Catholic (as Ramon was in real life) and he has promised his mother to keep a candle lit before this Madonna icon and never let the flame go out, because if it goes out then evil will descend upon him. So Mata (Greta) tells Alexi (Ramon) that his room is too brightly lit; he goes around and turns off all the lights -- except for the candle. So then she asks him to blow out the candle. "If I am everything to you then you will blow it out." He asks her in shock: "But why would you ask me to?" (a perfectly reasonable question she doesn't answer). He ends up rejecting the sacred for the profane, blowing the flame out and the room goes into darkness. The camera pulls away and we are supposed to know instinctively that they are making love all through the night. And of course evil descends on Ramon's character, and he goes blind, but what the heck, this is Hollywood.

Watch it for the stars, not for history. If you want history, read a book.

Worth a watch

[mik-19 · 7/10 · 19 September 2005]

German spy Mata Hari works in Paris during World War 1 under cover as an exotic dancer, and falls in love with a young Russian officer while she is taking advantage of him.

The script is rubbish, dialogue trite at best, and the treatment doesn't hold together well. Adrian's costumes are ridiculously improbable, but in a sinfully pleasurable MGM kinda way. You simply sit there and gape at Adrian's inventiveness and sense of kitsch. And William Daniels photographs them beautifully.

As he does his favorite subject, Greta Garbo. There is no way anyone could call Mata Hari one of the better Garbo roles, although she looks gorgeous at every turn, even in her slightly awkward Balinese dance in the beginning, all arms and legs. And still Garbo manages to be sexy! Notice the glance she sends Ramon Novarro as she draws the curtain of her bed. This was a short period in the history of Hollywood, when there was no functioning censorship, and it is always titillating to see what cinematographers, directors and stars made of it. And here they exploit it to the full.

Not a great film, not even in the Garbo canon, but still worth a watch, absolutely.

Enjoyable Melodramatic Love Story

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 26 April 2008]

In 1917, in Paris, the famous dancer Mata Hari (Greta Garbo) has a double life as a German spy, obtaining secrets from French and Russian officers in bed. The chief of the French Secret Service Dubois (C. Henry Gordon) is unsuccessfully in her tail trying to find proofs to incriminate Mata Hari. The Russian general Serge Shubin (Lionel Barrymore) has a crush on Mata Hari, but when she meets the young Russian pilot lieutenant Alexis Rosanoff (Ramon Novarro), she sleeps with him to photograph secret documents in his possession. But they fall in love for each other, and the jealousy of her lover Shubin provides the evidences to Dubois to arrest her.

This fictional and naive romance based on the life and death "Mata Hari" is an enjoyable melodramatic love story. Of course it is not a historic event, but this pleasant romantic fantasy is supported by an extremely beautiful Great Garbo performing a charismatic role in a great production. In spite of not being a masterpiece, I totally disagree with the unfair reviews in IMDb. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Mata Hari"

Garbo Makes the Role & the Character Her Own

[Snow Leopard · 29 March 2006]

As the notorious "Mata Hari", Greta Garbo makes both the role and the character her own, providing a portrayal that is much deeper and more complex than the historical character probably was. The rest of the cast and production work well enough, but they are mostly there only to provide Garbo the backdrop and the foils that she uses to develop the main character.

The story focuses Mata Hari's liaisons with two Russian officers, an older general played by Lionel Barrymore, and a young aviator played by Ramon Novarro, with an implacable Secret Service man (played by C. Henry Gordon) trying to stop her. Each of the three plays his part well, while allowing Garbo to take the spotlight. Lewis Stone also makes good use of his limited screen time, and Karen Morley has some memorable moments as another spy.

The story probably has little in common with the historical facts, and while the historical character is an interesting one, it seems certain that Garbo's character is more so, combining her obvious appeal with a depth of feeling and a complicated set of priorities, as few other actresses could have done. Designing the story and characters with her in mind works well, making for good drama and one of Garbo's many effective performances.

Better than average rendition based on famous Femme Fatale of WWI who used her beauty to seduce

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 19 December 2013]

A semi-fictionalized account of the life of Mata Hari , an exotic dancer who was accused of spying for Germany during World War I . Based loosely on the real-life story of the World War I alluring spy , though the title character was real, the events in the film are mostly fictional . The exotic dancer uses her contacts in European high society, along with her seductive charm , to collect military secrets during the war . It starts in Paris 1915, Folies Bergere , where Mata Hari is playing a spectacle impersonating an oriental dancer along with Goddess Kali sculpture . Mata Hari beguiling everyone from a Russian officer (Lionel Barrymore) and a pilot (Ramon Novarro , he wears internal lifts in his boots so that the difference in hight between himself and Greta Garbo was increased on screen ; and being the first time Novarro took second billing since becoming a star) . Mata Hari successfully plays both sides against each other until at last her deceptions catch up with her.

This is the classic adaptation by filmmaker George Fitzmaurice with Greta Garbo as the notorious dancer playing exotic dances and Ramon Novarro as her lover . While this film was in production, rumors began circulating that co-stars Garbo and Novarro were having an affair ; this was untrue, but they did develop a strong friendly rapport . The Greta Garbo/Ramon Novarro combo turned Mata Hari into a major worldwide blockbuster, with $2.22 million in worldwide rentals . This is a melodramatic biography about notorious dancer with smouldering allure who had relationships with high-ranking military officers, politicians , millionaires and others in influential positions in many countries . This is Greta Garbo's one of the greatest picture , a romance based on the true life story of the exotic woman spy , Mata Hari . Truly all-star such as Lionel Barrymore and Ramon Novarro's highest-grossing picture after Ben-Hur ; this production will leave in mind and heart the memory of an unforgettable thrill , emotion and sensitivity . Furthermore , an important support cast such as Karen Morley , Henry Gordon , Lewis Stone and uncredited Mischa Auer in opening scene as condemned man who won't betray Garbo's love . This George Fitzmaurice's romantic spy melodrama Mata Hari was well received by critics and enthusiastically embraced by moviegoers .

Although the story is inspired on real events, it's mostly a historical fiction , the actual deeds are the followings : His true name was Margaretha Zella(1876-1917), a Frisian-Dutch known dancer and double agent during WWI. She was a successful courtesan , though was known more for her eroticism and sensuality rather for her stunning classic beauty. At 18, she answered an announce in newspapers about a man looking for spouse . She married Netherland Colonial Official and they moved to Indonesia , at island of Java. But the marriage was a disappointment and the couple early separated in 1903. Meanwhile she practices Indonesian traditions, uniting a local dance company learning the exotics jigs. Later she revealed her artistic name, Mata Hari, for 'eye the day' of the sun. She moving back to Europe , winning fame and fortune as exotic dancer. She was one of the leaders of the contemporary dancers, such as Ruth Dennis and Isadora Duncan that looked to Asian world for inspiration. During WWI, as neutral origin citizen was able to cross national borders freely , she travelled among Netherland, France, Germania, Spain but her several movements inevitably attracted attention. In early 1917 the German staff in Madrid transmitted messages to Berlin referring the activities of a German spy , code named H-21. French Intelligence intercepted it and identified as Mata Hari. Then she was detained and put on trial, framed of spying for Germany and condemned death warrant , accused to cause deceasing of at least 50.000 allied soldiers. She was founded guilty and executed by firing squad at the age of 41.

Other versions based on famed courtesan/spy are : a silent version ¨Mata Hari¨ with Magda Sonja , ¨Agent H 21¨ (1964) by Jean Louis Richard with Jeanne Moreau and Jean Louis Trintignant and ¨Mata Hari¨(1985) by Curtis Harrington with Sylvia Kristel , Derek De Lint , Christopher Cazenove , Oliver Tobias , Gaye Brown and Gottfried John.

She's sexy. She thrills. She chills. She's a spy!

[michaelRokeefe · 6/10 · 24 April 2002]

She is not the first to play Mata Hari, the alluring spy of World War I. But Greta Garbo is very memorable as the temptress; the seducer; the beguiling not-so-secret agent. Garbo's exotic dance is quite lethal for the early 1930s. Ramon Novarro plays the young lover willing to give his life for hers. Lionel Barrymore is the older lover that dies by her hand. This classic does not claim to be factual to history, but makes a great melodrama not to be missed. Supporting cast features Lewis Stone, C. Henry Gordon and Karen Morley. Viva la France.

Today It's A Camp Delight

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 6 February 2010]

Any resemblance to the little Dutch girl with a most interesting life for the prurient who became Mata Hari and this film starring Greta Garbo is strictly coincidental. About the only two things I can think of is that she was a spy and she did die by firing squad.

Mata Hari had a fascinating life and was 41 when she met her demise and Garbo was 27 when she made this film. Her espionage activities only covered a small part of her life, her whole story ought to have been told.

What this film lacks in facts it certainly makes up for in a kind of campy allure. Garbo is certainly at her sexiest as the woman who drives men of all ages mad with desire, so much so they wind up betraying their country. That's what she does to Lionel Barrymore who plays a Russian general who does same. She turns him into an old fool.

But she herself gets good and foolish when she meets up with young Russian aviator Ramon Novarro. When she herself falls in love, it proves to be her undoing.

There are a couple of really good performances here by a pair of ruthless adversaries. Lewis Stone is her spymaster and not a man to trifle with. See how he deals with another of his reluctant employees played by Karen Morley. He's far from the wise and good Judge Hardy in this role. His opposite number is C. Henry Gordon who knows full well that Garbo is a spy and is just waiting to nail her and I don't mean in the biblical sense.

Mata Hari is a camp delight today, it certainly hasn't aged well. But that's not to say you won't enjoy Greta Garbo in this part.

An exotic Garbo vehicle

[netwallah · 7/10 · 18 April 2006]

In the early scenes Mata Hari (Greta Garbo) dances a slinky oriental dance; it's not clear what sort of culture she is meant to represent—there are silver pagodas on her head, and a many-armed god in the background, as well as other orientalist culture indicators sprinkled throughout. It's enough that she's exotic, without needing to pin her nationality down. Her costumes are gorgeous and also vaguely oriental, but with much silver lamé. She wears hats. It's Paris during WW I, and there are spies all over the place, and she's the most independent and fearless of them all, cool and heartless, using men easily, as she does General Shubin (Lionel Barrymore), until she meets the handsome young Russian aviator Rosanoff (Ramon Navarro), who has excellent posture, melty eyes, and a Spanish accent. Navarro is all pleasing surfaces. In the course of being irresistible, she steals secrets from him and accidentally falls in love. This causes problems, she has to kill Shubin to protect Rosanoff, and she has to part with the aviator. His plane crashes, but she finds him when he is blinded in hospital and tells him sweet lies, and she protects him in court and faces the firing squad. The movie is purely a Garbo vehicle, and she is fine, breezing through the clichés and the bad writing, and acting cool and then passionate. She is, of course, compellingly lovely. When she is not dancing, she moves sinuously, mostly. She has an odd carriage when walking slowly through a room, leading with her head bent forward, her neck arched, her shoulders one or two inches from a shrug. Otherwise she reclines langorously and gazes at other characters with a smile impossible to read.

One Legend Portrays Another

[Ron Oliver · 10/10 · 18 May 2002]

Seductively mysterious, the exotic dancer MATA HARI pays the ultimate price for being the most famous spy of World War One.

Coming only fourteen years after the execution of its title character, here is a densely plotted film given the full MGM gloss & glamour. Production values are excellent, even if the script strays a bit too much into fiction to tell its story.

Languid & languorous, Greta Garbo slinks across the screen like a large cat, almost purring her dialogue rather than speaking it. Utterly fascinating, it is easy to see why she dominated her generation & why her legend still endures. Finally coming fully alive during a penultimate murder scene, Garbo exhibits the frenetic energy of which she was capable on screen. Fortunately, she is only required to dance once, leaving to the imagination the full impact of Mata Hari's original private performances.

Ramon Novarro, who receives co-equal billing with Garbo, had been an important movie celebrity far longer than she, but her rising sun tended to obscure most other stars in her orbit and Novarro has to work hard to get much notice in their joint scenes .As always, MGM's chameleon actor (this time he plays a Russian) gives a very competent performance, but as a romantic pair they make a rather unusual couple - which simply means that Novarro's sexual ambiguity is perfectly mirrored by Garbo's intrinsic androgyny.

Lewis Stone is quite effective as a sinister German spymaster. C. Henry Gordon gives some nice moments as a tough French policeman. Lionel Barrymore is also on hand, flamboyantly overacting as a Russian general who delivers military secrets to Mata Hari in exchange for her favours; he apparently decided Garbo wasn't going to steal the entire picture and he puts up an outrageous display of ham acting.

Karen Morley & Frank Reicher appear as German agents who learn the price of becoming no longer useful to Berlin; movie mavens will recognize an uncredited Mischa Auer in the opening scene as an unfortunate victim of Mata's wiles.

*******************************

Born to a prosperous hatter in The Netherlands on August 7, 1876, Margeretha Geertruida Zelle was convent schooled and later attended a teacher's college. In 1895 she married British-born Campbell MacLeod, a captain in the Dutch colonial army and lived with him in Java & Sumatra from 1897 until 1902.

After their divorce, Margeretha settled in Paris, where she changed her name to the Malay 'Mata Hari,' which means 'eye of the day.' Fabricating a mystique of exotic mysticism, the beautiful Mata supported herself quite nicely as a courtesan and erotic dancer, giving special performances around Europe to delighted clientele. Several military officers of various nations counted themselves among her lovers.

The details of Mata's involvement in espionage still remain rather vague. It's possible she entered the German Secret Service as early as 1907, but she later is thought to have worked for the French Secret Service, as well. As a citizen of neutral Holland, she was still able to travel freely after the commencement of the War and it is alleged that she garnered secrets from Allied officers for her German employers. It was the British who tipped off the French as to Mata's supposed activities while in Belgium, and she was arrested upon her return to France.

At the court martial trial, she could only be found guilty of giving outdated information to the Germans, which she claimed was entirely innocent. However, it was more than enough to imprison her for three months, before her final rendezvous with a firing squad on October 15, 1917.

Enjoyable for Garbo Fans

[drjgardner · 4/10 · 27 August 2015]

I'm not a big fan of Garbo in general, and her talkies specifically. Her acting was more suited to the silent era, and this film, an early talkie, has a lot of silent film elements as well as silent film stars like Ramon Navarro and Lewis Stone. In fact, for 1931, this was an all star cast. Garbo herself had just been nominated for an Oscar for "Anna Christie" (1930), Stone was nominated for "The Patriot" (1930) and was in the highly popular "Big House" (1930), and the great Lionel Barrymore got his only Oscar for "A Free Soul" (1931). Navarro was still popular, though his best days were behind him.

Considering how many great films occurred in 1931 (e.g., "Frankenstein", "Cimarron", "City Lights", "Dracula", "The Champ", "M", "Public Enemy", "Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde", "Monkey Business"), this is clearly a 2nd tier film though it was a big commercial success at the time.

This is about love, not history.

[David-240 · 10/10 · 28 November 1999]

Garbo in love. There is nothing to compare with it. And MGM knew it. Again and again they fashioned vehicles for her to be in love, and "Mata Hari" is one of the best. Who cares that it has nothing to do with the real Mata Hari? This is a beautiful film - it looks gorgeous and is brilliantly acted. It was always difficult for male actors to hold their own with Garbo - Robert Taylor failed, Olivier by his own confession couldn't "hold a candle to her" - but there are three who certainly could John Gilbert (of course!), Melvyn Douglas (in comedy) and here the sublime Ramon Novarro. He was perhaps the only one of Garbo's leading men who could compare with her in beauty (though Lew Ayres is pretty cute in "The Kiss")and William Daniels films him nearly as lovingly as he does Garbo. The shot of his face where he blows out the candle (at Garbo's insistence), that his mother made him swear to always burn, is most beguiling. The two display a rare chemistry, and the final scene in the prison cell is very moving. Novarro in love is as enchanting as Garbo in love.

And the film is about the experience of love, and how it over-rides all else in life. Very romantic and very touching. Unrequited love sends Lionel Barrymore mad - this is a great performance too - and Lewis Stone's incomprehension of love makes him a cold, heartless monster (another expert performance from him). The sad thing here is that Novarro and Garbo were never again paired. A great and powerful film.

Great cast, but could have been better

[gbill-74877 · 6/10 · 13 January 2021]

A film that unfortunately hasn't aged well, despite it being MGM's 2nd biggest hit of 1931 and having considerable star power. Greta Garbo, Ramon Novarro, and Lionel Barrymore are at the top of the cast, and they had strong supporting players in Lewis Stone, Karen Morley, and C. Henry Gordon. Despite all these stars and a fascinating story of lust and espionage, the story as we see it here is unfortunately pretty tame, and not nearly as exciting as it should have been.

In part that's because the actual historical events were altered in order to give Garbo a redemptive arc - her character goes from sinner to saint, from stripper dancing in front of a heathen god to someone beloved by nuns, from requiring her lover to blow out a sacred votive candle before sleeping with her to a noble sacrifice to save him. The actual espionage takes a backseat to the script forcing Garbo into the usual type of role for her, one where audiences could be titillated but also feel her character's ultimate purity and righteousness, complete with Christian symbolism. The back half of this movie which trudges through her capture and trial is pretty tedious. It's unfortunate because the real story of Mata Hari is far more interesting.

The film also suffers from having been censored eight years after it was released. In their books on pre-Code films, both Mark Vieira and Mick LaSalle point out that the only version of Mata Hari that survives today is one that was re-cut in 1939. That was because chief of Production Code enforcement Joseph Breen required edits to any pre-Code films he deemed morally questionable if studios wanted to re-release them. The most painful part of this is that he wasn't content with just cuts to prints, he required them to master camera negatives - an unforgivable act if you ask me. So even though this is a pre-Code film, it too suffered from the puritanical effect of Code enforcement.

The first half hour of the film is where this hit hardest. In Garbo's first scene she does an exotic dance in front of a statue of Shiva, which culminates in her stripping in front of it. There is a jarring cut in between her writhing around while bowing before the statue and a few frames which survive of her naked behind before the lights fall. Later, when she and Ramon Novarro's character spend the night together, the moments where she seduces him by appearing in a revealing, diaphanous negligee are lost to time, as was the scene of the pair sharing a postcoital cigarette. Despite these kinds of cuts, the first half hour is the film's strongest, thanks mostly to Garbo and Karen Morley. It's worth seeing, but guard your expectations.

I think it's a tragedy romance

[JoeB131 · 5/10 · 14 May 2012]

Interesting in it's lurid time.

It tells the story of Mata Hari, a spy for Germany in France during WWII who falls in love with a Russian pilot (whose name is changed for some reason) and is executed for spying.

Now, the real interesting story was how the French government executed this woman on flimsy evidence, but that's not the story the directors wanted to tell. They wanted the one with the spy who fell in love and caused her own death.

The movie drags on in places and would no doubt have car chases and explosions if made today. And usually, I say that derisively about modern cinema, but frankly, it would have actually helped this film.

Oh, yeah. We don't see her get shot.

Pure Fantasy, Pure Melodrama, Pure Camp

[phred22 · 18 July 1999]

Anyone wishing to know the truth about Mata Hari, the exotic dancer who was executed as a spy during World War I, will soon realize this is not the movie for them. But the real Mata Hari was a pathetic middle-aged woman who got in way over her head when she tried espionage--her legend is much more entertaining. Greta Garbo plays the femme fatale brought down by love to the hilt and the cast ably supports her, although modern audiences may find Ramon Novarro ludicrous as the romantic lead. The best are C. Henry Gordon as the French police chief and Lewis Stone as the leader of Mata Hari's spy ring. Nearly every line is out of melodrama--I just wish I had a better memory to quote some for you. My recommendation: just enjoy it.

Mind Over Mata

[Lejink · 6/10 · 7 September 2023]

Loosely based, as the phrase goes, on the life and death of the exotic dancer who was convicted and executed for spying by the French in World War I, in truth this movie isn't much more than an excuse for the Divine Garbo to wear glamorous gowns (by Adrian), emote to the heavens and of course twist almost every man in the movie around her little finger. Of course, this time, even Greta can't get away from her real-life counterparts's fate and so pays the ultimate price for her actions in the final scene.

It's a strange movie that seeks to encourage the viewer's sympathies for a traitor who betrayed the Allied War effort for reasons which are never exactly made clear. She's also responsible for the death of her old admirer John Barrymore's bewitched, middle-aged Russian general as well as tricking the handsome young Russian pilot, Ramon Navarro, into revealing his secret mission to her.

It's a credit to Garbo's star-power and charisma that she just about pulls it off. Occasionally you see her lapse into some of the Garbo-isms she carries over from her silent movies but she undoubtedly has a great face and a feline grace about her which definitely set her apart from any other Hollywood leading lady of the day. It's also a great pity that cuts were made by the censor to the movie including her sexy opening dance and her later bedroom scene with Navarro.

Barrymore and Navarro chew what scenery Garbo has left them in parts which don't require much of themselves, other than to show puppy-dog like infatuation and devotion to their enchantress.

In short, the movie has star-vehicle written all over it and as such it serves Garbo well. I would have thought that the film's proximity to Mata Hari's true story might have seen it adhere more to the actual events but certainly not for the last time, Hollywood prints its own legend and not the facts, as much to make its stars look good as for such trivial reasons such as sticking to the actual truth.

Fictionalized story following the exploits of the notorious WW1 spy...

[AlsExGal · 7/10 · 19 May 2023]

...from MGM and director George Fitzmaurice. Greta Garbo stars as the title lady, an exotic dancer who enthralls all who see her perform, allowing her to gain access to valuable intelligence which she relays to her aloof handler Andriani (Lewis Stone). Among Mata Hari's conquests are General Shubin (Lionel Barrymore) and young ace pilot Alexis Rosanoff (Ramon Novarro).

When historians roll their eyes at the mention of Hollywood history lessons, this is the kind of film they are thinking about. The truth only remains as far as it makes the leads look attractive and dramatic. Garbo, who naturally bears little resemblance to the real Mata Hari, gets to wear some outrageous costumes and perform a lurid, pre-code dance with a giant statue of the goddess Shiva. Barrymore hams it up, and Navarro makes for an unconvincing Russian. Despite the sloppy script, there's some good set design and camerawork, and the appeal of the leads, particularly Garbo at the height of her stardom, helped make this one of the top ten biggest box office hits of the year, and the biggest for MGM.

Dutch Courage

[writers_reign · 6/10 · 5 August 2015]

I've just bought a boxed set of six Garbo talkies and this is the first one I watched - as a Billy Wilder buff I already own Ninotchka, and I've seen both Camille and Queen Christina on television years ago - and the thing that jumps out after 84 years is Garbo's charisma and beauty so that the other actors are irrelevant as is the plot. Because this is MGM those other actors include Lionel Barrymore and Lewis Stone, neither exactly chopped liver though Ramon Navarro who gets to play Garbo's love interest and billing to reflect this was long past his sell-by date. The melodramatic elements even in a story about a real person albeit one somewhat fictionalized are unavoidable yet Garbo is able to rise above it even when being 'noble' and suffering exquisitely. It's not necessarily something I'd watch again in a hurry but I'm definitely glad I saw it.

Quite Interesting

[Uriah43 · 6/10 · 20 December 2014]

In this film the legendary Greta Garbo stars as the infamous spy "Mata Hari" who uses her wiles as an exotic dancer during World War I to seduce selected generals and politicians in Paris and then steals their secrets in the heat of passion before passing them on the Germans. Now while I candidly admit that this story doesn't exactly conform to actual history considering the year this movie was produced, I have to say that it was still quite interesting all the same. Of course, Greta Garbo had much to do with that as I thought she was absolutely stunning. Yet even though I liked her performance I must also admit that, in my opinion, neither the script nor the other actors involved managed to rise to the occasion and as a result this movie failed to realize its potential. I especially didn't care for the ending as it was just a bit too melodramatic for my tastes. Be that as it may, while this movie might be of interest to nostalgia buffs or fans of Greta Garbo, I have to rate this movie as only slightly better than average.

Shiva, I shall dance for you tonight.

[brogmiller · 8/10 · 30 April 2020]

Unlike many of her contemporaries Greta Garbo had made a successful transition from silent films to talkies in 1929. Her three subsequent films were commercial successes but were hampered either by weak scripts or leading men with whom there was no 'chemistry'. One of these was Gavin Gordon who proved to be so abysmal that he was relegated to a lower division! In 1931 she hit the jackpot with a largely fictionalised account of the alleged espionage activities of Dutch born Margarethe Zelle known to legend as Mata Hari. Her importance as a spy has no doubt been overrated and she was executed on the flimsiest of evidence. MGM conveniently ignored all of this and simply recognised a perfect vehicle for Garbo and so it proved to be. 'Chemistry' is both rare and elusive and on the silver screen means only one thing: buffo box office. It is certainly no revelation that women were not exactly Ramon Novarro's cup of tea but the 'chemistry' between effete Mexican and sultry Swede is palpable and benefits the film greatly. As the fictional General Shubin Lionel Barrymore is, well, Lionel Barrymore and Lewis Stone is sufficiently cold-hearted as spymaster Andriani, generally assumed to be based on Georges Ladoux, head of French counterespionage. It is he who delivers the prophetic line: 'The only way to resign from our profession is to die'. Art direction is by Cedric Gibbons although to what degree is difficult to judge as he was credited with a total of 1,500! On its re-release this pre-code production did not escape the unwelcome attentions of the Hays office and lost a few minutes. Apparently there is an uncut version in Brussels but the chances of its being shown commercially are minimal. As for Garbo she is luminous, intoxicating, tantalising and incredibly sensual in a role that marked the beginning of her Golden Age in which commercial success was matched by critical acclaim for her acting skills. Probably best to leave it to Bette Davis who said of Garbo:'What she does with the camera lens is nothing short of witchcraft'.

Worth seeing, for Garbo fans

[smatysia · 6/10 · 11 February 2006]

While Greta Garbo certainly had her charm and charisma, it wasn't on display in this one as much as I had hoped. The film apparently bears as little resemblance to the history of Mata Hari, as Garbo had to the forty-something Dutchwoman. Ramon Novarro wasn't very convincing as a Russian, but I guess people didn't pay as much attention to accents and such back in the pre-Streep days. The drama was overwrought, as was the style of the times. (All drama was melodrama) You do have to admire the costumes, though. Imagine how it would have looked in color. This film is certainly worth seeing, to Garbo fans. Anyone else may not enjoy it all that much.

Only for the Garbo-manic

[klg19 · 2/10 · 9 June 2005]

It took me a long time to realize that I just don't get the whole Garbo mystique. I saw her first in "Grand Hotel" and, yeah, I got caught up in the aura--how could you not? But it's not like she was carrying the entire film. Then I saw her in "Ninotchka," which is sheer delight, and it took me years to realize that Melvyn Douglas and Ina Claire were what made the film.

"Mata Hari" is a perfect example of my rude awakening. It took me years to realize that Garbo was just a prop with a funny hairdo (what was UP with those quotation-mark bangs??), a thin-lipped and masculine face, a deep voice, and an exotic accent. She had two expressions--heartsick and flirtatious, the latter of which she seemed to convey only by talking through a smile with her head tossed back--and yet she still managed to over-act.

In "Mata Hari," Garbo dances what possibly be the most unerotic, non-sensuous exotic dance in the history of cinema, while seducing Ramon Novarro (a Russian pilot with a thick Mexican accent) and Lionel Barrymore (looking thinner and darker-haired than I'd ever see him). Thankfully, they cover her silly hair with turbans for most of the film--and, frankly, the costumes are the best reason to watch it, for they're spectacular. The film seemed to last FOREVER. And with every scene it got more ridiculous (although I admit to enjoying the scene with the candle-lit Madonna).

The best part was the brief sight of the wonderful Mischa Auer (credited only as "Firing squad victim #3"), sans moustache, in the first scenes of the film. He looked about 16 years old (although he was actually 26).

If it's sultry foreign seductresses we're talking about, give me Marlene Dietrich any day.

What's the Mata with Hari?

[lugonian · 9/10 · 8 July 2012]

MATA HARI (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1931), directed by George Fitzmaurice, is more of a showcase for Greta Garbo in the title role rather than a biographical study on the legendary female spy of World War I. Having already played a lady spy in the silent melodrama, THE MYSTERIOUS LADY (MGM, 1928), this particular stature and situations that occurred are nothing new here. By contrast, from fictional to actual character portrayed, this is a somewhat improved story overall, scripted by Benjamin Glazer and Leo Birinski, and highlighted by interesting casting of Mexican actor, Ramon Rovarro, in support.

Opening title: "In 1917, war-ridden France dealt summarily with traitors and spies." Traitors and spies are demonstrated in the opening scene as DuBois (C. Henry Gordon), chief of the spy bureau, gives orders at the firing squad the execution of three traitors, the third being a condemned man (Mischa Auer) refusing to reveal any information about a notorious woman, Mata Hari, who happens to be a great threat to France. Mata Hari, a spy working under secret orders for Adriani (Lewis Stone), is known for hypnotizing and seducing military officials for secretive information, and DuBois's mission is to gather enough evidence to have her arrested and executed. DuBois suspects General Serge Shubin (Lionel Barrymore) to be involved with Mata Hari, but, too, is unsuccessful in gathering evidence against him as well. After getting together with his friend, Lieutenant Alexis Romanoff (Ramon Novarro) of the Russian Interior Air Corps, Serge invites him to come to the café and watch an exotic dancer perform. The dancer is Mata Hari (Greta Garbo). Although Serge is romantically involved with Mata Hari, Alexis becomes interested and soon involved with her, causing friction on their friendship after Alexis finds Mata Hari alone in Serge's apartment. Her seductive ways has Alexis falling under her spell again, enough lose the important documents entrusted to him meant for the Prime Minister over to Mata Hari. After Alexis becomes blinded in an airplane accident, Mata Hari, realizing her love for Alexis, puts herself in great danger for betraying Adriani, committing murder and having DuBois hot on her trail.

The screen version, reportedly loosely based on Mata Hari herself, is no doubt tailor made for Garbo's talents as well as MGM's answer to Marlene Dietrich's fictional World War seductive female spy of X-27 in DISHONORED (Paramount, 1931). Faster paced than her previous early sound efforts (1930-31), Garbo appears much more relaxed in the role and very much accustomed to the new medium of "talking pictures" by this point. MGM reliables of Lionel Barrymore and Lewis Stone (both of whom became standard players in many Garbo films over the years) add to the amiable support, along with the Mexican-born Novarro playing a Russian pilot. Somehow Novarro does better than expected, without making any attempt speaking with a Russian accent. Being the only pairing of Garbo and Novarro, MATA HARI turns out to be the only Novarro film produced during his MGM sound years (1929-1934) to have any distinction. His mustache, dark hair and fleecing eyes in one scene come as a reminder of another popular MGM leading man, John Gilbert, who might have tackled the role of Alexis had it not been for his lack of successful box office appeal he once earned in the mid twenties. Others in fine support are Karen Morley playing Carlotta, the dark-haired spy working under orders of Adriani; Alec B. Francis as Major Caron; Blanche Frederici and Helen Jerome-Eddy briefly appearing as Nuns; Frank Reicher as the Cook/Spy; and Edmund Breese (The Warden).

Notable scenes worth mentioning include Mata Hari getting Alexis to make passionate love to her. Before he does, she alluringly talks him into proving his love for her by turning out the continuous burning candle of the Holy Lamp of Madonna (a patron saint to guard him from evil); and the stalking of Mata Hari by Jacque, a club-footed giant (face unseen).

Of the many major MGM feature film releases of 1931, this and THE CHAMP starring Wallace Beery were once notable exceptions as those to have continued revivals on broadcast television in the New York City area through the mid to late 1980s before making its way to cable television, notably Turner Network Television (1988-92) and Turner Classic Movies (1994-present). Distributed on video cassette and later to DVD, MATA HARI continues to become one of the most notable and worthwhile Greta Garbo films, along with "Queen Christina"(1933), "Anna Karenina"(1935), "Camille" (1936) and "Ninotchka" (1939) all of which she was born to play. As much as the Novarro films from this period are virtually forgotten to today's generation, his legend rests simply on his silent screen performances of both BEN-HUR (1925) and THE STUDENT PRINCE (1927), along with the one notable movie where he was "just wild about Hari." (***1/2)

Great Garbo, good movie, poor male lead

[adrian-43767 · 7/10 · 27 June 2017]

MATA HARI's main interest is the great Greta Garbo and she does deliver a very sound performance, if not exactly a match for CAMILLE or QUEEN Christina. As a woman of exceptional beauty and elegance, I can imagine that most men must have been besotted by her in the 1930s.

The story is more about love than history (which it does not bother to follow with any degree of accuracy), and it makes no judgment about espionage, apart from a chief spy saying that death is the only way to leave the "profession".

Acting, direction and photography are generally competent, considering what was happening in the cinema in 1931. The only drawback -- from my standpoint -- is Ramon Novarro, who comes across as rather weak (I believe GG did not want him as the male lead, and you can see why).

If you are willing to cast your mind back to 1931 and to suspend your disbelief, there is much to enjoy in this picture.

Raunchy, yes, but badly acted and boring

[HotToastyRag · 3/10 · 7 January 2020]

You've probably heard how racy Mata Hari is, especially given the time period, but if you try to watch it, you won't be able to get your hands on the original copy. The original is full of nudity, exotic dancing, and sex scenes, but the re-release after the Hays Code cut all those naughty bits for the post-1934 public. However, this 1931 Garbo vehicle was so much nastier than I'd anticipated-even with all that cut out! Garbo gives a striptease as her entrance leaving her practically naked and gyrating against an 8-handed Durga statue. There's an abrupt cut during the dance, censoring the rest of it, but it was certainly nasty enough to explain why Garbo was popular in the 1930s. I don't think her accent or her talent-or even her figure by today's standards-mattered back then. The fact that she was showing skin and disrespecting herself was enough to sell tickets.

I don't know if there's anyone out there who doesn't know Mata Hari was a famous historical spy, but if there is, the mystery gets spoiled pretty early on in the movie. Greta Garbo is shown extracting and exchanging military secrets from General Lionel Barrymore and giving them over to her boss, Lewis Stone. When a young soldier Roman Novarro catches her eye, she falls in love and jeopardizes her future. The love story is really absurd and would only make sense to audiences who are used to the melodrama of silent movies. Greta's lousy performance is matched by her costars. If you didn't know Roman was a popular silent star, you'd never guess the young man in this movie had a career at all. Perhaps Lionel couldn't stand Greta, or he wanted the movie to flop at the box office, but he gives the worst performance of his career. If this was the first movie you'd ever seen him in, you'd think he was a terrible actor, not one of the greatest to grace the silver screen.

You might be tempted to rent this naughty old movie, but I have a feeling you'll get really bored. Keep your remote handy and have a back-up ready in case you can't take it anymore. Try Red-Headed Woman or Too Late for Tears for a much better time with a bad girl.