Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948)
Genre: Drama / Romance
Duration: 86 minuten
Country:
United States
Directed by: Max Ophüls
Stars: Joan Fontaine, Louis Jourdan and Mady Christians
IMDb score:
7,8 (14.885)
Releasedate: 28 April 1948
Letter from an Unknown Woman plot
"This is the love every woman lives for…the love every man would die for!"
The film is about various flashbacks that are shown on the basis of the letter from Lisa (Fontaine), which Stefan (Jordan) reads just before he was actually going to leave for a duel (in Vienna in 1900).
Actors and actresses
Lisa Berndle
Stefan Brand
Frau Berndle
Johann Stauffer
John
Marie
Herr Kastner
Lt. Leopold von Kaltnegger
Stefan Jr.
Porter
Reviews & comments
wibro
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- 11590 messages
- 4098 votes
I watched this beautiful love drama for the 3rd time and unlike many other 1940s films, this film has still not lost any of its power for me. The moving ending in particular is phenomenal, one of the most beautiful endings ever made in a film.
In my review of December 28, 2011 I wrote this about it, among other things;
For me, this is and remains the most powerful love drama I have ever seen. All clichés are avoided here, no 'they find each other again and lived happily ever after', for the main characters the ending in this film also means their literal end, or in other words their demise. When Stefan read the letter and the portrait of young Lisa appeared in his mind, I was very moved. We don't see these kinds of masterful scenes very often in contemporary films.
Rating: unchanged 5.0*
Translated from Dutch · View original
Film Pegasus (moderator films)
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- 31245 messages
- 5497 votes
Quite a strange film at first glance. The young Lisa is in love with a man, but because she never really makes it known, he obviously doesn't know it. And it remains an unrequited love for her. She sees him every so often. A lot of love for her, but he does not recognize her because she has never really been part of his life. So Lisa came across to me as some kind of stalker. 
I must say, the story wasn't really my thing, I didn't understand Lisa at all. Louis Jourdan makes little impression, but is not really bad. Joan Fontaine in particular makes up for a lot. Cinematographer Franz Planer (later Breakfast at Tiffany's) and director Max Ophüls beautifully decorate the film.
Not a film that left me with the impression that other viewers here did. But that certainly doesn't make the film bad.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Fisico
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- 10039 messages
- 5398 votes
A beautiful romantic drama that starts from a letter and tells the adventures of a girl next door in love through flashbacks. A bit sentimental and melodramatic, but very beautifully told. A great atmosphere hangs over the film like the longing for an unattainable love.
Excellent setting and costumes there in the period around the year 1900 in Vienna. Very stylish and handsome dark grey-black predominant shades. Not a standard romantic story, but quite a bitter story.
Beautiful convincing role by Joan Fontaine as an idealistic, somewhat naive teenager. A character with a lot of flair and charisma, entirely according to the capabilities of the actress. Fine.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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