SYNOPSIS
Emil Jannings stars in the film which won the first ever Academy Award for best Actor for his role in this stunning early masterpiece from director Josef von Sternberg (The Blue Angel).
An exiled Russian general turned Hollywood extra (Emil Jannings, in an incredibly passionate performance) is chosen by a former adversary (William Powell) to play a role that resembles his former self and gradually loses his grip on reality. Equally a sharp witted satire of the Hollywood machine and a heartbreaking drama about one man’s emotional downfall, Josef von Sternberg’s The Last Command (his second major Hollywood picture) is one of the finest and most significant films of its era.
Featuring exemplary cinematography, beautifully designed sets, and rousing Revolution sequences, The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present the worldwide Blu-ray debut of this wonderfully composed masterpiece.
SPECIAL FEATURES
- High-definition presentation on the Blu-ray
- Original organ score by Gaylord Carter (uncompressed on the Blu-ray)
- New video interview with critic Tony Rayns
- Sternberg Till ‘29, a video essay by scholar Tag Gallagher
- 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
