Story: The famed artist Rembrandt (Charles Laughton) has shifted paths in life and moved away from commissions, opting to focus on his wife. His art had followed suit, as he loved to capture her image in his paintings and express his love for her. But as much as he wants to ignore commissions, sometimes he can’t ignore the offers, full of cash and fine booze. He accepts one such commission and his timing proved to be off, as his beloved wife passes on, leaving him heartbroken. He then struggles to push on, both in his personal life and his art, unable to cope with the loss and loneliness. As a result, he finds himself not only depressed, but in crushing financial conditions. He can’t pay his bills and even if he could produce some popular art, his debts are such that he couldn’t manage to stay ahead. As he faces a new stage in his life and all the challenges that entails, can Rembrandt find a way to recapture his lust for life?

Entertainment Value: I was drawn to Rembrandt from all the praise for Charles Laughton’s performance and that acclaim was well deserved, but the movie as a whole is a terrific achievement. The story has the kind of ups and downs you’d expect from larger than life figure like Rembrandt, though the tone seems to skew a little more toward the darker side. That’s not to say there aren’t uplifting and inspiring moments, not to mention manic ones, but if you need all smiles and sunshine, this film doesn’t provide that. But the story is well written and the production values are lavish, as you’d hope from a period piece like this. I love the sets in Rembrandt, as there is so much attention to detail and so many little touches to pick up on. The visual flair of Rembrandt’s art was a clear inspiration for the set design elements and locations, which adds to the experience as Laughton commands the screen. I also appreciate the costumes, which look great and all together, these production elements just really enrich the atmosphere so much. This one has emotion, beautiful visuals, a good story, and a world class lead performance, so Rembrandt is highly recommended.

As good as the rest of the movie is, Charles Laughton’s performance is the jewel here and he truly offers a tour de force effort. Laughton is able to chew scenes with the best and he dials things up just right, bringing the big persona of Rembrandt to life so well. At the same time, while he does know when to go a little over the top to bring that personality across, he is also skilled enough to know when to reign himself in. That lets us see the manic side and the mood swings, but Rembrandt remains a believable person, not a caricature. That was likely a tough road even for a great actor, as you need to walk that line with this character and the blending of the escalated emotions couldn’t have been simple. Laughton is masterful here and on the strength of his effort alone, this would be worth a look. The cast also includes Elsa Lanchester, Gertrude Lawrence, and Edward Chapman.

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