Remembering Madame Nazimova

Remembering Madame Nazimova
by Michael R. Allen

Remember silent movies? I didn't think so.

When I first saw a silent drama, the allure of the unknown players quickly sparked my interest. Showing emotion without talking may have been due to lack of technology, but it was inspiring to someone who grew up in the 1980s and 1990s. Of particular enjoyment to me has been the artistry of Alla Nazimova, the illustrious Russian actress who was the master of facial expression.

Born in 1879, Nazimova enjoyed a bountiful career that included dynamic stage performances of many of Ibsen's plays. Though it is impossible to see these performances today, one may locate several of Nazimova's silent films and some of her talkies. A staple of any study of Nazimova is her 1923 masterpiece Salome, in which her portrayal of Salome is vivid and intense. Here is one of the best films one can view to see how she can act without even moving her lips. This style of acting, heavily mocked now, is a refreshing anecdote to what passes by on modern celluloid.

Of course, the curiosity of Salome is as ridiculed today as it was when it was released. Film historian Anthony Slide, in his book The Silent Feminists, describes the reaction of the critics after the film's release: "Critical response to Salome was mixed at best, with many complaining that the film was nothing more than an excuse for Nazimova to show off various facial expressions."

Even in the twenties, it seems that audiences and critics were anticipating the adventure thrillers that have corrupted modern cinema. The film medium, already near thirty years old, had reached the peak of experimentation. Until talkies came a few years later, serious drama was not new enough to capture the attention of wide audiences. Today, film suffers from a similar ennui. Nazimova could convey the proper feelings simply by the her expression and her attitudes. Such performance combines the obvious with the nuanced in real dramatic performance. That also is a quality in film that only a few still attempt to understand and cherish.

Slide says that "the very elements that make Salome popular with modern audiences have tended to obscure its artistic qualities, reducing it to the level of high camp rather than high art." If such art could not be appreciated by critics in its own decade, it is not even seriously considered today. These are times when a small portion of film fans rush to obscure "art houses" while the large masses attend crowded showings of Jerry Maguire.

Nazimova is also splendid opposite the beloved Rudolph Valentino in 1921's Camille. This modernized recalling of the classic tale of love and betrayal can be enjoyed as pure and refined storytelling, but many of her other works cannot be found in more than small fragments. Her 1923 production of Ibsen's A Doll's House is permanently lost, as is her 1920 film Billions. Even Salome cannot be found in its complete form; as much as 40 minutes of the film are missing.

Over the years, these films were destroyed through the neglect of a society unwilling to honor their legacy. Over half of all silent films are missing, and many more are lost every year. Sure, treasured cult films like The Sheik and many comedies are preserved but not for any good reason. Many of the silent films are reduced to camp, and subsequently their misuse only proves that the artistry of such work is inaccessible to even the most sophisticated members of modern culture. Even many film historians and art critics laugh at some of the scenes in the silents.

Sometimes, there is reason to laugh at bad parts of these old films. But often, laughing is a substitute for comprehension. If laughter is any measure, few have understood Nazimova. Yet she is appreciated by some viewers, and even without them she still would be great. Social recognition is only a measure of itself.

Nazimova's death on July 13, 1945 ended one of art history's most fulfilling lives. Though author Gavin Lambert has recently written the first full Nazimova biography, whether or not she will be remembered as a serious artist is up for debate. She probably will not be.

Audiences frequently expect to see nothing on screen but human symbols and special effects. Heavy drama has never fared well, even on stage. That is as it must be in the free economy, and it is better that it stay that way. There already is too much laughing as it is.

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