In 1917 the French government ordered that Margaret Zelle MacLeod be executed for collaborating with the Russians as a spy. This Dutch-born Javanese dancer and courtesan is probably more familiar to audiences as the infamous Mata Hari. George Fitzmaurice's visually compelling film of the same name is a fictionalized realization of Mata Hari's last days. A seductress extraordinaire, she dazzled and outraged the distinguished echelons of Parisian society with her flamboyant penchant for independence and her multiple amorous liaisons. Although the film's narrative more closely approximates a highly stylized romanticized interpretation than a straightforward recapitulation of Mata Hari's exploits, trial, and execution, there remains enough truth in the plot to successfully carry the melodramatic element. (L.A. Thielen)