A
"genuine emotional attachment...?"
The last time Paolo makes love to her he says "...let me take off my Grandmother's locket..." which in effect seems indicative of saying let me strip away my aristocratic background, my family, my dignity... in order to consummate this act.
Karen Stone is unable to deal with the fact that she is too old as an actress to continue to play the ingenue roles and simply turns down the part when a more suitable offer is made. When her friend cautions her about her relationship with Paolo, she simply says that she's "addicted..." Similarly, when Paolo leaves, she cannot deal with the desertion and throws caution to the wind.
Paolo has lost the wealth that accommodated his title during the war and choses to keep up appearances by escorting wealthy women. In light of his background, he appears too proud to accept just any regular job. However, when he is introduced to the much younger Angel Hunter, the opportunity exists to retain his training as an escort, while possibly attempting to build a career in the movie industry. Karen Stone is disgarded faster than yesterday's newspaper. From Paolo's perspective, it's all about me, me, me....
But then, that's probably true for both of them...
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BlueGreen
16 years ago
Of course he is ashamed and feels "degraded" by her company (= his own "line of work").
But there are moments when his expression seems to mirror a touch of genuine fondness of her - which he resents more than anyone.
And when he feels compelled to "defend" her ("She is not like Mrs. X!" etc.), it doesn't sound he's doing it ONLY to protect his own "reputation".
But it's very difficult to explain which scenes I mean without actually showing them and analysing them "live".
(And of course I never said or implied it was a full-blown "emotion". No: just a hint. Enough to make him uncomfortable.)
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andros12
16 years ago
I think he understands at a deeper level some of her statements, especially the one concerning the "loss of dignity." On the film's commentary, Olivier speaks of the post-war character's, i.e. Paolo's admiration of the rich American, her material wealth and her car. However, those factors obviously didn't coincide, at least for the most part, with Paolo's personal estimation of Karen.
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Dominique2
13 years ago
As much as this Mirren/Martinez/Bancroft version is praised, especially compared
to the original starring Leigh/Beatty/Lenya, I found it a disappointing movie.
I think the better reviews for this version compared to the first one built my
hopes up too high. The first movie was absolutely flawed, if only because first
time director Joseph Quintero gave it too much of a stage approach and the
voice over was horrible.
It's no secret that I'm a big Warren Beatty fan.
Still, contrary to what people may think, I am perfectly able to view him and
his work objectively. Mrs. Stone was just his second movie and, bad accent
aside, he did a good job. Vivien Leigh was perfect for the part, perhaps because
of her real life situation, character and illness. Lotte Lenya, who received
so much praise as the Contessa, grated on my nerves and was way too theatrical.
This version with Mirren/Martinez/Bancroft was a disappointment after the
rave reviews and favorable comparisons to the earlier version. Mirren is a
great actress, but physically very unattractive. In this movie her acting was
below her usual standards, to me at least. It may have been a director's choice.
To me it was just too theatrical. Martinez has a very unappealing quality
about him that I cannot put my finger on. His looks also fall short to be
considered "exceptionally beautiful". His accent, well, that's his own.
Even Bancroft was a disappointment, which really makes me think the acting
styles were a directorial choice.
All in all, I still prefer the original version, warts and shortcomings and all.
Perhaps because it was filmed when such a story could perhaps still take place,
and 50 something was considered old(ish), as was dating a much younger man.
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andros12
13 years ago
Well, clearly you are very outnumbered in your opinion: Emmy, Golden Globes, Satellite and Screen Actors Guild nominations for Mirren and Bancroft's display of acting ability. It's also pleasing to see the Emmy nomination for Music Composition and the American Association of Cinematography's nomination for Cinematography as it's proof other people trained in the respective field thought both of these categories were outstanding as well.
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