Greta Garbo is basically a ghost in 1935's Anna Karenina

Is it worth your time?

If you want to watch a movie star at the absolute peak of her powers, then yes, stop whatever you are doing and watch this. If you are looking for a lighthearted romp or something that doesn't involve people whispering intensely about honor in drafty rooms, you will probably hate it.

Greta Garbo is just something else here. She doesn't really act like the other people on screen; she kind of floats through the sets like she's already left the building. It’s weirdly hypnotic.

The vibe

The whole thing feels like it's covered in a layer of fine, expensive dust. The costumes are huge, the houses are cavernous, and the social pressure is so thick you could cut it with a knife. Basil Rathbone plays the husband, Karenin, and he is just... well, he’s exactly the kind of guy who would ruin your life by simply being polite and rigid. I wanted to shake him for most of the runtime. He’s great at being awful.

There’s this one scene where Anna and Vronsky are at the races, and the camera just lingers on Garbo’s face for what feels like an eternity. It’s not even about the plot anymore. It’s just about watching her eyes do all the work. You don't get that in movies much these days.

A few random thoughts

• The train station scenes are always so stressful. You just know something bad is coming.
• The lighting makes everyone look like they are permanently standing in a soft, misty dream.
• Fredric March is fine as Vronsky, but he’s really just there to be the reason for the chaos.
• Honestly, I found myself watching the background extras more than the leads sometimes. The way they scurry around is funny.

It’s not as dense as some other adaptations, and honestly, that’s a relief. It skips over a lot of the Russian political stuff that usually bogs down the story. It keeps the focus squarely on the misery, which is the right call.

It’s not perfect. Sometimes the dialogue feels like it’s being read from a pamphlet on 'How to be Tragic in the 19th Century.' But then Garbo will turn her head, look at the camera, and you just forget that the script is a little stiff. It reminded me a bit of the suffocating feeling in The Tragedy of Love, though this one has a much bigger budget and way more velvet.

It's a heavy watch, but it sticks with you. You finish it and just sort of sit there for a minute, looking at the wall. That’s usually the sign of a good one.