Grand Hotel
Synopsis
Berlin's plushest, most expensive hotel is the setting where in the words of Dr. Otternschlag "People come, people go. Nothing ever happens.". The doctor is usually drunk so he missed the fact that Baron von Geigern is broke and trying to steal eccentric dancer Grusinskaya's pearls. He ends up stealing her heart instead. Powerful German businessman Preysing brow beats Kringelein, one of his company's lowly bookkeepers but it is the terminally ill Kringelein who holds all the cards in the end. Meanwhile, the Baron also steals the heart of Preysing's mistress, Flaemmchen, but she doesn't end up with either one of them in the end...
Critical Acclaim
When Grand Hotel premiered in 1932, it garnered immediate critical acclaim and was celebrated as a pioneering ensemble film. Critics were impressed by its ambitious narrative structure, intertwining multiple storylines set within the confines of a luxurious Berlin hotel. The film's star-studded cast, featuring Greta Garbo, John Barrymore, Joan Crawford, Wallace Beery, and Lionel Barrymore, was particularly praised for delivering compelling performances that brought depth to their complex characters. The New York Times lauded the film as a "splendid example of the motion picture art," highlighting the seamless integration of different plot threads.
Critics such as Mordaunt Hall of The New York Times applauded the film's ability to balance its diverse characters and storylines, describing it as "an excellent entertainment." In modern evaluations, Grand Hotel holds an 86% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with contemporary critics commending its innovative narrative format and the strong performances by its ensemble cast. Variety praised the film's "magnificent production" and the way it captured the opulence and drama of hotel life, a sentiment echoed by later reviewers who appreciated its timeless appeal.
The film's legacy is significant, as it set a precedent for future ensemble films. Grand Hotel won the Academy Award for Best Picture, becoming the first film to win the award without receiving nominations in any other category. Its success paved the way for similar narrative structures in cinema, influencing films like Crash and Love Actually. The phrase "Grand Hotel theme" became synonymous with films featuring interconnected stories. The American Film Institute recognized its cultural impact by including it in their AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies list, cementing its place in cinematic history.
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