there are so few messages about this film. I am not sure I ever saw it, but I really hate this guy taking Robert Mitchum's place with Greer Garson. I am watching it right now on TCM. I think it's great and the countryside is fantastic. Greer Garson is great in any movie she's ever made.
shareI never take Robert Mitchum seriously in these romantic roles, never, even in early childhood! He is great in the tough guy/soldier/menacing villain role, but not the one he's given in this picture, IMO.
I kept thinking what a much better film it would have been had Paul, perhaps played by someone else, as this whole film is really a studio attempt to sell Mitchum as a domestic dreamboat, actually died, shifting the focus to the relationship between a war shocked Jean and a not completely emotionally dormant Marise. The premise, that a man would go to great lengths to find the widow of a fellow POW because he has fallen in love with the "idea" of her through his comrade's stories of his married life, is interesting, and quite romantic. As it is, it just doesn't work with this exposition, and feels rushed and exploitive in the second half. Opportunity lost, alas.
There's an interesting film with Jodie Foster and Richard Gere, I think it's Sommersby, that resembles this film in several ways. Don't want to spoil it but I think you'd like it. (it's a wonderfully romantic film too).
shareIt is a wonderful movie: I loved watching it yesterday. Greer Garson - so beautiful and soft spoken. Robert Mitchum? Sexy!
shareMitchum was well cast in a sort of romantic film with Deborah Kerr, that being Heaven Knows Mr. Allison, that also was on TCM recently, and who said he couldn't do romantic films? Nonsense.
He was great in The Longest Day, though. Heh.
I agree, Mitchum did some amazing work in romantic movies as is seen in this one. Another great pairing of his was with Shirley MacLaine in "Two for the Seesaw". It's got a gritty intimate vibe which is unbeatable, and of course there's "Out of the Past", which is not quite romantic in the sense we are using, but it is all about love. I think these might even be his three greatest roles.
My attempt to list some of the goodest-assed movies of all-time: http://www.themoviecanon.blogspot.com
Punk,
Good references. Another one, although some have problems with the film's narrative arc, is Holiday Affair, opposite Janet Leigh, which of course is a sort of Christmas film. The character of Steve he plays there is perhaps not hte best one ever written, but Mitchum does the most with his performance, and the chemistry with Leigh is great. I disagree that he was not good in romantic roles.
He's very good with Susan Hayward in "The Lusty Men". They don't hook up, but you wish they did.
sharekenny-164 says > Holiday Affair, opposite Janet Leigh, which of course is a sort of Christmas film. The character of Steve he plays there is perhaps not hte best one ever written, but Mitchum does the most with his performance, and the chemistry with Leigh is great. I disagree that he was not good in romantic roles.I agree with you. I love Holiday Affair and I think Mitchum was very believable in romantic roles; at least the ones I've seen. Besides, some women like that type of guy; he's every bit a man but can also romance a woman. I much prefer that type over a more 'sensitive' wimpy type of guy who is overly romantic and emotional.
Sweet movie...didnt like Hart and loved Mitchum..He was so dreamy way back when..Actually he was dreamy older too lol.
Hart was annoying. I didnt find him charming at all. I wanted to swat him away. But thats just me.