Lady Hamilton (1921)

Synopsis:

Personal opinion: For many years, “Lady Hamilton” was considered a lost film – and it still is, officially. But, unofficially there is an excellent copy from the Russian film archive. The version is not complete, but it looks incredibly well, considering the age. Conrad’s Major Nelson is amazing. Liane Haid is also very good as his lover, Lady Hamilton. In comparison to the 1941-version with Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier, which was focused on the couple, the 1921-version is even better, because it reflects also the political situation and the difficult years of war against Napoleon. The end of the scene from the silent film was a source of inspiration to the sound version, but not even Olivier could surpass Conrad’s brilliant acting all the way. He is very convincing and obviously dedicated to the cause for which his character fights until his death. There are also some romantic and even delirious moments in which especially Connie is very good, and his acting here, like in all of his films, is the best from the entire cast, even if Werner Krauss is also effective as Lord Hamilton. This film is a gem of the German silent cinema, and it deserves complete restoration in order to be available not just for collectors like me, but also for all the fans of Conrad Veidt around the world.