Cast: Lillian Gish
Welcome to another Silent Sunday at the Psycho Ward! This week we'll be reviewing the silent adaptation of Giacomo Puccini's opera, La Boheme.
PLOT: The film takes place in the Latin Quarter of Paris in 1830 and focuses on two people, a starving artist--a literally starving artist--named Marcel (Gino Corrado) and his roommate, Rodolphe (John Gilbert) a playwright. The boys are struggling to pay their rent and are lost for words when the landlord comes looking for it. The landlord is even a jerk to Mimi (Lillian Gish), an orphaned, friendless embroiderer. I think the landlord is bipolar because ha few moments before he demands the rent from her, he hits on her.
Anyway, Mimi heads to a pawn shop, the Mont de Piété (Mount of Piety). Meanwhile, Rodolphe apparently isn't able to write about such a simple subject as a cat, leading us to believe that he blatantly failed all of his college English courses. We are introduced to a new character, Viscomte Paul (Roy D'Arcy), who "does nothing but it does it gracefully" (they clearly lifted these jokes from Laurel & Hardy's silent shorts). He hits on Mimi, but she rejects him.
The comic relief in this film, Rodolphe's other roommate, musician Schaunard (George Hasssell), is luckier than both boys and somehow comes up with the full rent and saves the day. Marcel's neighbor, Musette (Renée Adorée) has dinner and Marcel uses her to give his roommates food in a scene that is clearly a sight gag from a Laurel & Hardy short, as the boys keep inviting friends to dinner.
Marcel falls in love with Mimi, and asks her to pose for him in a scene that took advantage of pre-code so much it hurts. He tells everyone that she looked very cold and hungry and everyone decides to pitch in and give her food. Isn't that nice of them? She, as expected, won't have any of it. They, as expected, make her eat. Everyone decides to give her a share in everything they have. This is probably the nicest thing that I have seen anyone on camera do. Mimi thinks so too, and she begins to cry.
Meanwhile, the creepy Viscomte Paul will stop at nothing to make Mimi his, but Rodolphe will have none of it. He tells Mimi that Schaunard has just sold his song to get her away from him, but she won't go. Paul poses as a customer to get close to her, but she drives him away. Good for her! He's a creep.
Mimi calls on her true love, Rodolphe, who apologizes for being jealous. Mimi shuts the window in Marcel's face and that's what makes me officially not like her. She's playing everyone like fiddles. I bet she's secretly rich.
On Easter Sunday, Rodolphe and Mimi have a tender moment together in the park. He tries to kiss her, she won't have it, and here us ladies learn why we should never date artists. Too touchy-feely. Eventually, Mimi warms up to Rodolphe and even teaches him how to dance. She still won't kiss him, but they're getting closer. She finally admits she loves him and they share a kiss (YAY!!!!!!!!!!)
Now that Rodolphe and Mimi have a purpose for living, they work harder than ever. Mimi goes to Rodolphe's boss and asks him to give Rodolphe another chance. The boss responds by discharging him. Mimi decides that Rodolphe must not know that he has been fired. She tells him that the director was so pleased. Poor Rodolphe is so happy and he announces that he has finished the first act of his play, that Mimi is his muse and shows her the first act. Mimi works day and night to keep up the lie and she becomes sick. She is warned that she will lose her beauty and that Rodolphe will not love her anymore.
After a tender scene between the two lovebirds, Paul shows up. Leave it to a creeper to spoil a tender moment, right? He sees Rodolphe's play and offers to put in a good word for him to a theater manager. Mimi agrees and the camera zooms in on her legs, a move that is DEFINITELY pre-code. Rodolphe enters and sees Paul fondling his girl. Mimi tries to explain that Paul is only trying to help get him noticed, but he will hear none of it and destroys the play.
Rodolphe decides to forget all about Mimi, but can't. He goes to a bar (how typical) and complains that he can no longer write anything. He sees his old boss and asks him to advance 5 francs on his next article. The man calls him drunk and reveals to him the lie that Mimi hid from him: that he was discharged five weeks ago.
Paul continues to be a creeper, telling Mimi that if she comes to him, she won't have to concern herself with trifles like Rodolphe's play (imagine if he were around to hear THAT!). Rodolphe confronts Mimi and gets the truth out of her, and becomes enraged at her for going out with Paul and getting new clothes and jewels. They end up making up and Rodolphe promises her that he will find a doctor so that she can get better. He returns with the doctor to find her gone. She has left him a note that basically says he must not sacrifice himself and that she will return when his play triumphs.
A few months go by and Rodolphe is now a successful playwright. While working in the slums of Paris, Mimi falls ill. The doctor arrives and tells her co-workers that she will die before morning.
Rodolphe says, "Mimi, come back to me!" and as if she heard him, Mimi gets up weakly and wanders the Paris streets, deathly ill, falling to the ground coughing. She is found by her parents and they take care of her. So basically, Rodolphe is partying while his ex-girlfriend whom he still loves is pretty much dying. Dream guy right there, am I right, ladies?
Well, finally this asshole mans up and he and Musette go to see Mimi. She basically hallucinates until she dies. The film ends sadly but beautifully, with Rodolphe remembering that Easter when Mimi told him she loved him.
REVIEW: Interestingly enough, the film starts out as a comedy and ends up being a tragedy. I don't think I've ever seen a film do that. Even though the jokes at the beginning were probably all borrowed from Laurel & Hardy, I enjoyed them and found them funny. Also, I enjoyed the tragic parts as well and the ending was solid and well-done. I'm going to give this film 5 out of 5 stars.
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