Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by tinear (A) on March 23, 2009 at 17:14:26

and unsurpassed Harry Baur as Jean Valjean (and a transformational excellence as a secondary character). The physically imposing Baur, in his incredible projection of strength and vitality, I've only seen equalled by Brando; though this film is 3/4 of a century old, the acting is absolutely "modern," no affectation on Baur's part, no falsity of any sort.
The film itself largely falls apart after the first 1/3 (it's a very long three-part effort) but I was transfixed by the performance.
Baur's life was even more tragic than that of Hugo's protagonist: he was captured and tortured by the Nazis.
After this, my first exposure to him, I'm scouring Netflix for his other starring roles.
If you enjoy great acting, you won't want to miss this all but forgotten Titan of film.

• The DVD has excellent picture and sound quality.   (Open in New Window)