Death Takes a Holiday

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Claudio C @Claudio666 May 19 Death Takes a Holiday (1934) The Three-Day-Vacation of Death (11,701 –18 May 2025 – by Claudio Carvalho) Duke Lambert (Guy Standing) hosts several friends at his mansion after partying in the town. The beautiful Grazia (Evelyn Venable), who is the romantic interest of Duke Lambert’s son Corrado (Kent Taylor) in a unrequited love, faints while walking alone on the garden and spends the night with her mother Princess Maria (Kathleen Howard) in Duke Lambert’s mansion. After the guests move to their rooms, Duke Lambert stays alone in a room when a shadow comes and talks to him. The shadow explains that it is Death and would like to spend three-day-vacation mingled with humans and would like to be hosted by Duke Lambert along these days. Further, Death explains that would take the mortal form of Prince Sirki (Fredric March) to learn why people fear him, but Duke Lambert shall not disclose who he is to his guests. Prince Sirki is welcomed by the guests and begins to learn human pleasures. Soon he falls in love with Grazia and has the intention of taking her with him. However, Corrado asks him to let Grazia choose her fate. “Death Takes a Holiday” (1934) is a supernatural romance with a nice story of Death taking three-day-vacation mingled with humans to learn about life and why he is feared. The plot is excellent, with witty dialogs, great acting and wonderful cinematography. It is funny to see people surviving to accidents since Death is on vacation, and his conclusion that people he chose is futile. The final words of Death are also great, concluding that “love is greater than illusion and is as strong as death”. My vote is seven. Title (Brazil): “Uma Sombra que Passa” (“A Shadow That Passes”) My Blog: https://maniacosporfilme.wordpress.com/ See more Thomas L 07/19/2024 I advise people to grow up and get past the material indications that this is a 1930’s movie and realize that this is a profound and passionate exploration of life, death, love, and the time we waste in frivolous pursuits that ignore the mysterious and magnificent realities of existence. See more Steve D 06/03/2023 Really different and really interesting. See more 06/28/2021 It's a beautiful horror love story. See more Thomas M @TMProofreader 01/31/2019 The best romance movie ever made! See more 02/21/2018 In this fantasy film directed by Mitchell Leisen, the grim reaper (Frederic March) gets a reprieve from his duties for three days, and he's also allowed to take human form. Over the ages he's seen life in all its smallness, and can't understand what makes living so special, or why people fear him. He comes primarily seeking knowledge, but soon finds himself enjoying new experiences and emotions. I enjoy films where Death is a character, and this one is an interesting mix of philosophy, fantasy, humor, and romance. The premise allows the film to explore the nature of life and love in fundamental ways. We see this early on as Death raises a toast and says "To this household, to life, and to all brave illusion." As we smile at his enjoyment over tasting wine and feeling its effects for the first time, we understand that from a higher, eternal perspective, all of what we do is indeed a 'brave illusion'. Now it turns out that if Death is taking a holiday, no one else receives him as a visitor, and we see news reports of people not dying during fires and other accidents. Death enjoys himself, but remarks that people seem to spend too much time indoors, and says "I have been among you two days, and what you do with yourselves still seems so very futile and empty." He also makes this devastating comment on war: "I could never make out what it was they were fighting about. It's usually a flag, isn't it? Or a barren piece of ground that neither side wants." What a fantastic line, so touching in any era, and particularly meaningful in the interval between WWI and WWII. It helps set up another observation from Death, relayed by Henry Travers (yes, Clarence from 'It's a Wonderful Life'): "Has it ever occurred to you that death may be simpler than life, and infinitely more kind?" If all this sounds gloomy or Bergmanesque, it's really not. There is one frightening scene where he reveals himself to a young woman, but overall the film is lyrical and reasonably light, and in fact it feels a bit theatrical in places. The story shows us that love is what ultimately transcends the absurdity of our brief existences. What starts out as a comedic competition with Gail Patrick and Katharine Alexander vying for Death's affections, evolves to Evelyn Venable and Death falling for one another. There is a lot behind these lines which he utters, and anyone who has fallen hopelessly in love will identify: "A moment ago I knew only that men were dust, and their end was dust. And now suddenly I know for the first time that men bear a dream within them... a dream that lifts them above their dust, and their little days. And you have brought this to me. I look at the stars in the water, Grazia, and you have given them a meaning." Essentially, the film asks the question, what if love "were only a few days or a few hours, would that be enough to justify love?" The ending, while a bit melodramatic, answers in the affirmative. True love not only what gives life its meaning, but it's also more important than life. See more Read all reviews

Death Takes a Holiday

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