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Love Affair 1939 |
Review by Jonathan Cornwell |
Directed by Leo McCarey
NR, 87 min. |
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Starring: Irene Dunne, Charles Boyer, Maria Ouspenskaya, Lee Bowman, Maurice Moscovitch, Astrid Allwyn
Producer: Leo McCarey
Screenplay: Mildred Cram, Leo McCarey, Delmer Daves, Donald Ogden Stewart
Distributor: RKO Radio Pictures
Released: 1939 |
Rating:
 (out of ) |
The surest sign that Love Affair is one of the best films of all time, certainly one of the better romances to ever appear
on the big screen, comes from the fact it has been imitated twice, once in the nearly equal An Affair to Remember (1957) and again in the
disappointing Love Affair (1994). Neither of those two films were able to capture the rare chemistry that is evident
between Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer, and, as a result, they were again paired together in Tomorrow Comes (1939) and
in Together Again (1944). The strength of the screenplay, which combines restrained sexual tension in its first act and
unbearable tension in its final act, makes the performances by Dunne and Boyer even more pronounced. Nominated for
six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Love Affair eventually lost to the great epic Gone with the Wind. Had it been
released a year earlier, it probably would have garnered a win.
Famous director Leo McCarey, who also directed the aforementioned An Affair to Remember almost 20 years later, is
best known for his many silent film classics and other popular films such as Duck Soup (1933) and The Awful Truth (1937).
His ability to craft a romance around unforeseen events gives the film an authority otherwise muted by a typical love story.
The story itself is elevated because of the fact that we care about the characters and their lives. This is accomplished through
many scenes of character building moments that give us an insight to who these people are and what their vulnerabilities tell
us.
Michel Marnet (Charles Boyer), a French playboy, and Terry McKay (Irene Dunne), an American, meet and instantly fall in love
aboard a ship carrying them to America. Each is engaged to marry to another, but their attraction cannot be denied. Although
attempting to conceal their burgeoning relationship while on board, it's not long until most of their fellow passengers are keenly
aware of what's taking place. They agree to go their separate ways for now, and decide to meet at the top of the Empire
State Building in New York City in six months to see whether their feelings for eacth other have changed. If they haven't,
they will be married soon afterwards. While Terry becomes a singer, Michel pursues his hobby of painting. Both are set
to meet at their prearranged site, until a tragedy cuts short their intentions, leaving one devastated by the other's absence.
Dunne's performance is memorable. She's beautiful, smart, and has an irresistible charm and vulnerability that captivates
her audience. Boyer is also solid, playing the romantic protagonist to near perfection. The film's best performance, however,
may come from character actress Maria Ouspenskaya, who plays Michel's grandmother, Janou. Dunne and Ouspenskaya were
both nominated for Oscars, while Boyer was surprisingly shunned. The competition in 1939, as most who follow movie history
are acutely aware, was fierce, meaning their chances of winning an Oscar was remote. But that doesn't diminish their
efforts, as most film historians would concur.
Many have seen An Affair to Remember starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr, and it's rightly remembered as
one of the better films of the 1950's. However, mainly because most haven't seen its original telling, Love Affair is not
well-known, although it's clearly the superior film. Wonderfully-filmed with inviting locations and a nice song to boot, "Plaisir d'Amour", it concludes with one
of the most memorable and fully satisfying scenes in film history. Love Affair is a forgotten gem that is worth
uncovering at your local video store in the near future.
© 2002 Jonathan Cornwell
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| Masterpiece - Classic; Movie perfection |
 | Excellent - A Must See; One of the year's best films |
| Good - Highly Recommended |
| Fair - Worth seeing |
| Average - Viewable, but not recommended |
| Below average - View at own risk |
| Poor - Avoid at all costs |
| Very poor - An embarassment to the film industry |
| Zero | Awful - One of the worst films ever made |
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