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Grand Hotel is a 1932 American drama film that intertwines the lives of five guests who are staying at a posh hotel in Berlin. Directed by Edmund Goulding, this classic movie boasts an ensemble cast of Hollywood legends, including Greta Garbo, John Barrymore, Joan Crawford, and Wallace Beery. The film is based on the 1929 novel Menschen im Hotel by Vicki Baum. It is a critically acclaimed movie that won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1932, making it the first film to ever win this prestigious award.

The setting of the movie is the Grand Hotel, a luxurious establishment that attracts a diverse range of guests. The main characters include a fading ballerina named Grusinskaya (played by Garbo), a financially-strained baron called Felix von Geigern (Barrymore), an ambitious stenographer named Flaemmchen (Crawford), a boorish industrialist named Preysing (Beery), and a sickly bookkeeper named Kringelein (Lionel Barrymore).

As the story unfolds, we get a glimpse into the different lives of these characters who are all staying at the hotel for various reasons. Grusinskaya is a lonely and depressed ballerina who is struggling with her declining career and the loneliness that comes with it. Von Geigern is a charming thief who is living on the edge, and who catches the eye of both Grusinskaya and Flaemmchen.

Flaemmchen, on the other hand, is a young woman who is determined to make it big in Berlin. She lands a temporary job as a stenographer in the hotel and quickly becomes involved with von Geigern. Preysing, meanwhile, is a ruthless businessman who is in a critical financial situation and is trying to save his company from bankruptcy.

Kringelein is a meek bookkeeper who has saved up enough money to enjoy a holiday at the Grand Hotel. He is anxious to enjoy his stay and experience the kind of luxury that he has never been able to afford before. As the story progresses, we see how the lives of these characters intersect and how they influence each other.

What makes Grand Hotel a classic film is the powerful performances of its cast. Garbo, in particular, delivers a stunning portrayal of a woman who is on the brink of losing everything - her career, her fortune, and her will to live. Her iconic expression, "I want to be alone", has become a lasting cultural reference and is still recognized today.

John Barrymore brings charisma to his role as von Geigern, a character who is both endearing and dangerous. Joan Crawford, in one of her earliest roles, plays Flaemmchen with a perfect combination of ambition and vulnerability. Beery is perfectly cast as Preysing, a character who is both contemptible and pitiable.

Apart from the stellar performances, the movie is notable for its use of innovative filmmaking techniques. The film features impressive camerawork, complex editing, and atmospheric lighting to create a sense of the grandeur and luxury of the hotel. The use of montage, close-ups, and deep focus shots add depth to the storytelling and capture the intricate interplay between the characters.

Grand Hotel is a timeless classic that has stood the test of time. It is an engrossing drama that showcases the power of human connection and the struggle to find joy and meaning in a world that can be harsh and unforgiving. The film continues to be an inspiration to many filmmakers today and is a testament to the enduring power of cinema.

Grand Hotel is a 1932 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 53 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.3 and a MetaScore of 79.