The Great Waltz (Blu-ray)

Diva Miliza Korjus steals the show as an opera star in this fictitious Johann Strauss biopic. Director Julien Duvivier gives full rein to the maestro’s waltz tunes and Joseph Ruttenberg’s camera swirls and dances, giving a sense of exhilaration to the musical numbers. Ms Korjus, (as MGM’s publicity tells us “rhymes with gorgeous!”), takes over the film with a bravura performance. Her co-star, anaemic Fernand Gravet as Strauss, dims in comparison to his female lead. Luise Rainer, as Strauss’s long-suffering wife, isn’t given much to do, apart from giving soulful sighs and tearful glances. The score, full of classic Strauss waltzes, is masterfully arranged by Dimitri Tiomkin, with updated lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. An underrated masterpiece of a film.

I discovered this film by accident and I'm glad I did. If you love classical music this one's for you. And the cinematography is STUNNING. I read that one of my favorite directors, Josef von Sternberg, filmed a few scenes in this movie. I've no doubt because there are scenes that you swear shine that wonderful silver sheen that Sternberg was known for. The Warner Archives have done their usual brilliant restoration of this gem of a film.