Sign In / Sign Up

Romola

Romola
Release date: 1924-12-06
Rating: 6.333
Votes: 3
Genres: Drama, History
In Renaissance Florence, a Florentine trader meets a shipwrecked stranger, who introduces himself as Tito Melema, a young Italianate-Greek scholar. Tito becomes acquainted with several other Florentines, including Nello the barber and a young girl named Tessa. He is also introduced to a blind scholar named Bardo de' Bardi, and his daughter Romola. As Tito becomes settled in Florence, assisting Bardo with classical studies, he falls in love with Romola.

Reviews

CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

It's actually quite hard to get excited about this rather dreary adaptation of George Eliot's quite gripping story of love and survival during the turbulent events in late 15th century Florence. As was common at the time of her writing this story (1862), she used language to expertly craft and deliver a tapestry of interwoven themes and characterisations that created a rich, multi-layered series of themes. Well, sadly for this, much of these have been thrown under the bus, and we are left with the two Gish sisters in a melodramatic tale of deception and intrigue all right, but not amongst the Machiavellian-style politics of the time, but of the pair and their romantic interludes with the manipulative chancer "Tito" (William Powell) - who is married to one of them, and having an affair with the other. He, not so astutely as it turns out, uses the deposition of the Medici to rise to greatness in the city - sacrificing his love and his honour en route to the top. History tells us that can never last and.... It's a good looking film - the imagery and direction (from Henry King) provide for a well presented film to look at; the camera - as ever- loves Lillian Gish, and Ronald Colman has quite a charm as "Romola" needs saving by the end, from herself as much as from anything else. There are also some good scenes as Savonarola (Herbert Grimwood) preaches to the ever angry mobs and of the mob itself in full flow - but I just felt this ws adapted more to accommodate the technology available, instead of staying true to much of the book. Silent film enthusiasts may enthuse - but otherwise, It's a good cast, largely just going through the motions.

Movie Recommendation

  • Robin Hood
    Robin Hood
    1913-09-23
    Robin Hood and his followers aid the poor and oppressed from their hideout in Sherwood Forest, pursued by the Sheriff of Nottingham.
    More...
  • Mallrats
    Mallrats
    1995-10-20
    Both dumped by their girlfriends, two best friends seek refuge in the local mall. Eventually, they decide to try and win back their significant others and take care of their respective nemeses.
    More...
  • Dreams
    Dreams
    1990-05-11
    A collection of magical tales based upon the actual dreams of director Akira Kurosawa.
    More...
  • Before Sunset
    Before Sunset
    2004-06-16
    Nine years later, Jesse travels across Europe giving readings from a book he wrote about the night he spent in Vienna with Celine. After his reading in Paris, Celine finds him, and they spend part of the day together before Jesse has to again leave for a flight. They are both in relationships now, and Jesse has a son, but as their strong feelings for each other start to return, both confess a longing for more.
    More...
  • Vertigo
    Vertigo
    1958-05-28
    A retired San Francisco detective suffering from acrophobia investigates the strange activities of an old friend's wife, all the while becoming dangerously obsessed with her.
    More...
  • The Man Who Knew Too Much
    The Man Who Knew Too Much
    1956-05-16
    A couple vacationing in Morocco with their young son accidentally stumble upon an assassination plot. When the child is kidnapped to ensure their silence, they have to take matters into their own hands to save him.
    More...
  • Hot Fuzz
    Hot Fuzz
    2007-02-14
    Former London constable Nicholas Angel finds it difficult to adapt to his new assignment in the sleepy British village of Sandford. Not only does he miss the excitement of the big city, but he also has a well-meaning oaf for a partner. However, when a series of grisly accidents rocks Sandford, Angel smells something rotten in the idyllic village.
    More...
  • Gangs of New York
    Gangs of New York
    2002-12-14
    In early 1860s New York, Irish immigrant Amsterdam Vallon is released from prison and returns to the Five Points, seeking revenge against his father's killer, William Cutting, a powerful anti-immigrant gang leader. He knows that revenge can only be attained by infiltrating Cutting's inner circle. Vallon's journey becomes a fight for personal survival and to find a place for the Irish people.
    More...
  • Singin' in the Rain
    Singin' in the Rain
    1952-04-10
    In 1927 Hollywood, a silent film production company and cast make a difficult transition to sound.
    More...
  • Donnie Brasco
    Donnie Brasco
    1997-02-27
    An FBI undercover agent infiltrates the mob and identifies more with the mafia life at the expense of his regular one.
    More...
  • Come and See
    Come and See
    1985-10-17
    The invasion of a village in Byelorussia by German forces sends young Florya into the forest to join the weary Resistance fighters, against his family's wishes. There he meets a girl, Glasha, who accompanies him back to his village. On returning home, Florya finds his family and fellow peasants massacred. His continued survival amidst the brutal debris of war becomes increasingly nightmarish, a battle between despair and hope.
    More...
  • All About Eve
    All About Eve
    1950-11-09
    From the moment she glimpses her idol at the stage door, Eve Harrington is determined to take the reins of power away from the great actress Margo Channing. Eve maneuvers her way into Margo's Broadway role, becomes a sensation and even causes turmoil in the lives of Margo's director boyfriend, her playwright and his wife. Only the cynical drama critic sees through Eve, admiring her audacity and perfect pattern of deceit.
    More...
  • Heat
    Heat
    1995-12-15
    Obsessive master thief Neil McCauley leads a top-notch crew on various daring heists throughout Los Angeles while determined detective Vincent Hanna pursues him without rest. Each man recognizes and respects the ability and the dedication of the other even though they are aware their cat-and-mouse game may end in violence.
    More...
  • The Birds
    The Birds
    1963-03-28
    Thousands of birds flock into a seaside town and terrorize the residents in a series of deadly attacks.
    More...
  • Saw VI
    Saw VI
    2009-10-22
    Special Agent Strahm is dead, and Detective Hoffman has emerged as the unchallenged successor to Jigsaw's legacy. However, when the FBI draws closer to Hoffman, he is forced to set a game into motion, and Jigsaw's grand scheme is finally understood.
    More...
  • Boogie Nights
    Boogie Nights
    1997-10-10
    Set in 1977, back when sex was safe, pleasure was a business and business was booming, idealistic porn producer Jack Horner aspires to elevate his craft to an art form. Horner discovers Eddie Adams, a hot young talent working as a busboy in a nightclub, and welcomes him into the extended family of movie-makers, misfits and hangers-on that are always around. Adams' rise from nobody to a celebrity adult entertainer is meteoric, and soon the whole world seems to know his porn alter ego, "Dirk Diggler". Now, when disco and drugs are in vogue, fashion is in flux and the party never seems to stop, Adams' dreams of turning sex into stardom are about to collide with cold, hard reality.
    More...
  • Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
    Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
    2001-08-22
    When Jay and Silent Bob learn that their comic-book alter egos, Bluntman and Chronic, have been sold to Hollywood as part of a big-screen movie that leaves them out of any royalties, the pair travels to Tinseltown to sabotage the production.
    More...
  • Casablanca
    Casablanca
    1943-01-15
    In Casablanca, Morocco in December 1941, a cynical American expatriate meets a former lover, with unforeseen complications.
    More...
  • Fail Safe
    Fail Safe
    1964-10-07
    Because of a technical defect an American bomber team mistakenly orders the destruction of Moscow. The President of the United States has but little time to prevent an atomic catastrophe from occurring.
    More...
  • Austin Powers in Goldmember
    Austin Powers in Goldmember
    2002-07-26
    The world's most shagadelic spy continues his fight against Dr. Evil. This time, the diabolical doctor and his clone, Mini-Me, team up with a new foe—'70s kingpin Goldmember. While pursuing the team of villains to stop them from world domination, Austin gets help from his dad and an old girlfriend.
    More...

Similar Movies