George Bryan Brummel, a British military officer, loves Lady Margery, the betrothed of Lord Alvanley. Despite her own desperate love for Brummel, she submits to family pressure and marries Lord Alvanley. Brummel, broken-hearted, embarks upon a life of revelry. He befriends the Prince of Wales and leaves the army, becoming subsequently the best-known rake and decider of fashion in Europe. As his affairs flourish, so does his disdain for his benefactor, the Prince. Eventually Brummel falls into disfavor, and it is only Lady Margery who has any chance of helping him.
3.5+，人物本身同时代风云几无关联，更广阔的背景隐藏于人物交谈所产生的字幕板，诚如片名透露，成为一部完全的个人史。“眼看他起高楼，眼看他宴宾客，眼看他楼塌了”，大起大落的人生、世所熟知的混乱情感与私人的忠诚爱恋明暗叙事，在塑造人物方面完成度颇高，具有古典戏剧之风，矛盾的行为及心理是其个人悲剧的根源，结尾以亡灵弥补缺憾的浪漫化处理实无必要。
Carmel Myers，That Lady Is A Vamp…『Death Kills But Once —Life Kills Many Times』
悲伤不过暮年对幻影，如果这是人生杯中最后一滴酒，我会停下来为你而饮尽，玛芝莉
全片没看出爱情的凄美，只看出来了爱情的破坏力。主人公因为没和初恋在一起，故意让自己不好受，让初恋对象不好受，也让身边所有人都不好受，结果他尝遍了爱情的苦却没资格再尝爱情的甜了。他最后见到的人是他恨之入骨的亲王，恨意超越了爱情。
3.5 默片 Death kills but once——Life kills many times. 饮尽杯中酒，权为眼前人。