Review by Gary Tooze

Production:

Disc:

Video:

Audio:

• New video interview with critic Tony Rayns (27:07)
• Sternberg Till '29, a video essay by scholar Tag Gallagher (34:56)
• A 32-page booklet featuring an excerpt from von Sternberg's autobiography Fun in a Chinese Laundry, two original reviews from 1928, a 1929 profile of Jannings, and archival images.

DVD included

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The Film:

Josef von Sternberg's The Last Command was inspired by the true story of General Lodijenski, a Russian aristocrat who arrived penniless in the US after the 1917 Revolution and who supported himself by playing movie bit parts and managing a Russian restaurant. Emil Jannings stars as the Grand Duke Sergius Alexander, who in the last days of the Romanoff regime must decide the fate of two revolutionist actors, Leo Andreyev (William Powell) and the gorgeous Natacha (Evelyn Brent). Andreyev is carted off to prison, while Natacha becomes the Duke's mistress. She fully intends to kill him, but when the chance arises, she hesitates, having come to realize that the Duke is an essentially decent man who loves Russia as much as she does. Comes the revolution, and Natacha helps the Grand Duke escape the Bolsheviks, losing her own life in the process. The death of Natacha sends Sergius Alexander into a nervous shock, from which he never fully recovers. Years later, a shabby Sergius is eking out an existence as a Hollywood extra. Hired to play a Russian general in a crowd scene, Sergius discovers that his director is none other than former Russian revolutionary Leo Andreyev. The meaning of the title is clarified in the film's emotional climax. Plot inconsistencies aside, The Last Command is a stunning cinematic achievement, combining the harsh realities of Russia and Hollywood with von Sternberg's unerring sense of visual beauty.

Excerpt fromTimeOut located HERE

Image :    NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

1928's, Josef von Sternberg's, The Last Command arrives on Blu-ray from The Masters of Cinema group in the UK. I saw this first in Criterion's Three Silent Classics By Josef Von Sternberg, and fell in love with it. Now seeing it in 1080P with this aggressive layers of grain and the contrast (occasionally erratic) is definitely superior. There are, of course, marks and scratches but they are minimal and don't impinge upon your viewing. This is dual-layered with a max'ed out bitrate for the 1 1/2 hour film. This Blu-ray offers a masterwork film in a brilliant presentation considering the film is almost 90-years old. Exceptional. I loved watching this.

CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The audio is transferred via a linear PCM 2.0 channel track at 2304 kbps (24-bit). It's the original organ score by Gaylord Carter and it sounds very tight, and crisp in the uncompressed. There are original English intertitles and my Oppo has identified it as being a region 'B'-locked.

Extras :

There is a new 27-minute video interview with critic Tony Rayns recorded exclusively for Masters of Cinema in 2016 - and it is excellent. As is Sternberg Till '29, a video essay by scholar Tag Gallagher that explores the surviving Silent works of von Stenberg's career. It runs 35-minutes. The package contains a 32-page booklet featuring an excerpt from von Sternberg's autobiography Fun in a Chinese Laundry, two original reviews from 1928, a 1929 profile of Jannings, and archival images. This is dual-format with a second disc DVD included.

 

 

BOTTOM LINE:
The Last Command is a masterpiece. Period. Josef von Sternberg is near his height of storytelling, pace and story realization. This may be my favorite of his films along with The Blue Angel and The Docks of New York. What a fabulous choice for MoC to release on Blu-ray. The 1080P presentation is essential in my opinion and the package is another gem from MoC. Don't hesitate for a moment. 

Gary Tooze

April 30th, 2016