I saw this film a few weeks ago in Australia with my mum and just thought that this was on e of the beautiful films I have ever seen. The casting was good, the music was fantastic and the scenery was just brilliant. I would actually give this film ten out of ten cause it deserves it. My favourite performances in the film would have to be Natascha McElhone who played Olga and Daniel Bruhl who played Andrea i thought that they were really fantastic.
shareI agree. However, (and you knew there'd be one, right? *grin*), I'd have to take away one star for total lack of intrigue. The synopses I've read, particularly in FLM magazine via Landmark Theaters, made it seem as if there was some kind of backstory as to why Andrea washed ashore; although there was a dream sequence showing at least one man drowning during a storm, it wasn't enough to inform us how that came to be in the first place. I suppose you could infer that he intended to go to America (based on a line of dialog), but why? Was he running from something or merely to something? I guess I was hoping for something other than a character study of how an outsider influences small-town folk.
And on a totally unrelated note: How is it that the large house they lived in only had two bedrooms? Did the two sisters really have to SHARE a bedroom? *grin*
The story isn't about Andrea. It's about Ursula and how she feels about him. I didn't give a damn about his back story. I wanted to know why she felt the way she did about him.
shareAs I wrote in another thread. . . I thought she was flooded with memories of a past love, perhaps unfulfilled or unconsumated, or he was the son she never had. In either case it would make sense of her doting somewhat possessive manner. Plenty of mothers are possessive of sons, as are fathers of daughters. I do not think she was sexually attracted to him. It would have gone against the conventional wisdom of the time and place. It also would have been too much of the "pulp" genre, whereas this story was something else again. That's why we are asking the questions.
sharenot sexually attracted to him? what about the dream sequence where she's rolling around in the field with him?
shareThis story's about a woman in the autumn of her life falling in love again. (probably for the last time in her life) It certainly was sexual.
And true, didn't care for the background either. Ursula didn't care, because that's what being in love is about; you don't care about past, you're yearning for a future.
Magnificent performances. Loved it.
This is the conclusion of the short story. It takes place after the sisters realize Andrea is not coming back:
The moonlight streamed through the white-curtained casement window into the white, spotless room. It shone on the two little white beds, on the white garments, neatly folded on white chairs, on the white-whiskered gentleman over the mantelpiece, and on the white faces of the sisters. They slept little that night Once Miss Widdington spoke.
"Ursula, we must go to sleep and forget it all. We've been two old fools."
Miss Ursula sobbed for answer. With the dawn came a certain quietude of spirit. She rose, put on her dressing-gown, and, leaving her sister asleep, stole out on tiptoe. The window was open and the curtains were undrawn in the boy's empty room. She leaned on the sill and looked out over the sea. Sooner or later, she knew, would come a letter of explanation. She hoped Janet would not force her to read it. She no longer wanted to know whence he came, whither he was going. It were better for her, she thought, not t.o know. I t were better for her to cherish the most
beautiful thing that had ever entered her life. For all those years she had waited for the prince who never came; and he had come at last out of fairyland, cast up by the sea. She had had with him her brief season of tremulous happiness. If he had been carried off, against his will, by the strange woman into the unknown whence he had emerged, it was only the inevitable ending of such a fairy-tale.
Thus wisdom came to her from sea and sky, and made her strong. She smiled through her tears, and she, the weaker, went forth for the first time in her life to comfort and direct her sister.
The End
Here's a link to the full story: http://www.djdchronology.com/ladieslavender.htm
The link you gave to the short story no longer works.
shareI rate this film an absolute 10 having seen it last night. I think the fact that some questions are unanswered is a plus---rather than having all i's dotted and t's crossed as most films do. As for Andrea, it was the late 30's and the Nazis were poised to attack Poland. He clearly had a reason for escaping --- possibly Jewish or at least a target for the Germans. And, we don't need to know Ursula's entire past to know that Andrea captured her heart which had been still for most of her life. I think it's the best movie I've seen in a long time and recommend it to anyone who is looking for a touching and moving film.
shareA chick flik, of the British/literary variety. I rather dreaded seeing it, not wanting to see Maggie Smith play Maggie Smith or Judi Densch play JD. But they didn't! Maggie was wonderfully unstated and restrained, and Judi excellent as always. I'm not certain I bought the love story, of Ursula for Andrea -- I mean, get real! -- and of course the ending was rather predictable. But I went along for the ride, and had a good time watching it.
shareJust because your body gets old your mind still can fall in love like a young
adult. Usually that takes place in movies with "dirty old men" with teenagers or something. This was a very touching portrayal of a women slowly finding herself in love with a young man she has nutured back to health. It was very delicately and sweetly told. Of course, eventually she had to face the facts. It was sweet and moving when she let his lock of hair go in the wind. She had to let go of her love but she had experienced it. There is no denying that.
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I thought Judy Dench, and the other old lady were wonderful actresses, and the scenery was beautiful, but other than that, I didnt care much for the movie.
Life is like a wheel everything will change
A bit of an odd one... Firstly, it felt really dated - this production could easily have been made in the '60s and would have been a long way from cutting edge even then... It felt odd that we don't learn anything about Andrea's background and we don't really get to know the sisters all that well... No doubt that was fine in the confines of the original short story. But, in the film, it contributed to me not really caring about any of them... The ending was probably realistic - he couldn't stay there for ever. But, the way it was done made everything that had gone before seem a bit pointless... Watchable enough, pretty locations and excellent acting. But, in the end, I thought it was all a bit inconsequential.
share