Casanova

Ivan Mosjoukine is an odd specimen of early movie stardom. He can be handsome or grotesque, quirky or intense. Another reviewer described him as a combination of Buster Keaton and Bela Lugosi, and it's hard to come up with a better descriptor. Regardless, he was a major talent of the 1920s and his films are always worth seeking out.

CASANOVA might not be the most high brow of his oeuvre. It's a spectacle first and foremost, tossing its ne'er do-well hero from one amorous escapade to the next. Clocking at almost three hours, one might be tempted to think this souffle of a film overstays its welcome, but the action keeps moving so quickly and the visuals are so sumptuous that the time flies. Mosjoukine acquits himself well as the mischievous lady killer, coming off as both opportunistic and weirdly guileless in the elegant but dangerous world of 18th century Europe.

Flicker Alley recently put this one out on blu-ray and DVD, so if you're a silent film buff, I would definitely grab a copy while you can!