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"Letter From an Unknown Woman"

This 1948 Max Ophul film is a great use of Hollywood craftspeople and techniques by a most un-Hollywood director. Thw wonderful Joan Fontane, in a role she said later was the one she was most proud of,
plays a 15 year old who falls in love with a concert pianist (Louis Jourdan), has a one night stand with him three years later, becomes preganant, has the baby, latter marries a kindly older man, still later re-meets the pianist, still carries the torch, has another one night stand (this after he doesn't even remember her!), he leaves again, the son dies, etc., etc. Just my kind of film.

Ophuls was given great freedom here by producer John Houseman, and it shows in the cynical form later found in his "La Ronde" and "Lola Montes". There are many long, hypnotic tracking shots and long flowing takes. Turn of the century Vienna is skillfully realized by the director, who knew the city well.

A good one for fans of unrequited love.


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Topic - "Letter From an Unknown Woman" - rico 07:16:24 04/04/04 (2)


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