Cult Movies # 8 - Mata Hari (1932) An early MGM talkie, Mata Hari serves up big budget opulence and empty-headed posturing in this fictionalized version of the notorious Dutch dancer's last tango in Paris. Set amidst the chaos and intrigue of World War I, the movie follows Mata's various manipulations (and a few miscalculations) as she vamps her way through the glam Parisian nightlife collecting intel for the Germans and thoroughly discombobulating any man foolish enough to fall into her trap. Eventually, of course, Mata crosses the wrong person and is summarily trotted off to a tryst with the firing squad. As a showcase for enigmatic screen legend Greta Garbo, Mata Hari doesn't scrimp on production values. The sets are sumptuous and exquisitely detailed, the black and white cinematography lushly romantic, evoking memories less of Paris than the dawning of the golden age of Hollywood film studios. Whatever: the film never adds up to much anyway. Indeed, the plot is so l...