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6.3/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.3/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Private Life of Don Juan remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like old movies where people talk in very specific, clipped accents and wear enough velvet to cover a small village, you'll probably get a kick out of this. If you are looking for a fast-paced romp, you might find yourself checking your watch by the halfway mark. It’s a bit of a vanity project, honestly, but in a way that feels strangely honest.
Douglas Fairbanks isn't exactly the spring chicken he was in his silent film days. You can see it in his eyes—he’s playing a guy who is tired of being the 'greatest lover in the world.' It’s actually kind of refreshing to watch a hero who just wants to go home and nap instead of fighting a thousand guys with swords.
The whole premise is that he fakes his death to get some peace and quiet. When he comes back to Seville, he finds out the city has replaced him with a younger, louder version of himself. It’s a total ego check. He spends most of the movie trying to reclaim his throne, but he just looks like a guy trying to relive his college glory days at a bar where everyone is twenty years younger than him.
There is this one moment where he’s trying to seduce a woman and he almost loses his footing. It felt so real. Not like a choreographed slip, just a guy who isn't as quick as he used to be. It humanized him in a way the script probably didn't intend. I bet he was sweating under all those layers of clothing.
It’s not perfect. Sometimes it drags. The middle section feels like it’s just repeating the same joke about how 'old guys are out of touch' over and over again. But then you get a look at the production design and you forgive it. It feels like a movie made by people who were just happy to be on a set, even if they were tired.
It reminds me a bit of the vibe in The White Panther, where everything feels a little dusty and forgotten. Don Juan isn't a masterpiece, but it’s a weird little time capsule. It’s the sound of a legend realizing that being famous is just another way to be lonely. 🥂
IMDb 6
1917
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