REVIEW: Inspiration (Brown, 1931)

Comparitively obscure in her filmography, Inspiration (1931) is the third sound work from Greta Garbo. For the first time her sultry, weary likeability is tangible in the post-silent era. Unlike the dire and serious Anna Christie and the silly and melodramatic Romance (both 1930), the actress seems at ease with character and within a cinematic showcase mired in nothing more than a celebration of her stardom.  Clarence Brown is once again director and uses every production element to celebrate the romantic but melancholic allure of his star.

The story is not particularly strong: Yvonne (Garbo) is a woman of the world, a model with a checkered past. She was the muse of many men. She falls in love with the naive André (Robert Montgomery) and he with her. Once he discovers her history, however, he is uncertain he can be with such a woman. Inspiration essentially bounces back and forth in this scenario towards a sober conclusion. Garbo was served better by a similar, more potent story five years later in the heartbreaking Camille (1936).

A strength of Inspiration is the restraint with which it delivers melodrama; credit goes to director Brown for this controlled approach. While the story is basic and highly repetitive (he loves me, he loves me not, etc.), it provides ample opportunity for Garbo to convincingly explore the highs and lows of love. The screen great suffers beautifully, but she also registers happiness in a lovely manner. And while the performance is not as actorly as her attempt at Anna Christie, it is another confident step away from the exotic mistresses and mysertious vamps of her silent days.