Pandora and the Flying Dutchman

[JackFavell]

I like that literary aspect myself.

[JackFavell]

Hey, kingrat!

You are right on target about The Moon and Sixpence. I am glad you mentioned Florence Bates who is just marvelous as the ex-pat turned matchmaker (at least in her own mind) for Strickland.

Sanders scenes with Albert Basserman are particularly fine, the two men work extremely well together, both underplaying their roles faultlessly. The scene where Basserman tells him he has leprosy is absolutely perfect. Another favorite scene is when Sanders admits to loving Atta, much to his own surprise. I think sometimes it is easy to overlook Sanders' acting, since he seems so bored most of the time...but here, and in the other Lewin films, as well as The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry, Death of a Scoundrel, and Renoir's This Land is Mine, we get the best of Sanders, when he was still working hard at acting.

[JackFavell]

Bel Ami's production is stylish and it's probably the most complicated story that he ever did. I have to say though that here Sanders character almost lost me, he's not just a cad, he's a ...well I can't say the word here but it begins with the same letter as Bel Ami. He's purposefully cruel and deceives the women he comes in contact with about his intentions, which none of his other cads really does. Sanders may be a jerk, but he's generally a straightforward jerk, usually he doesn't lie to his victims, but lets their own weaknesses lead them to their destruction. In this one, he's a liar of the most heinous type, no one has a chance against him because he is particularly unscrupulous. It's unpleasant, because his victims don't deserve it. At the end of the story though, Sanders (and Lewin) are redeemed, but by a hair's breadth.

I LOVED the scenes with Warren William. I thought they played out beautifully. Next favorite was Ann Dvorak, and then Katherine Emery, but her scenario was almost too painful for me to watch, she was no match for Duroy. Angela Lansbury was absolutely wonderful in the overriding love story, sweet and loving, who wouldn't want her? When Bel Ami says that he could have been happy with her had things been different, I thought, its not true... but it's nice to see him regret his actions in this one case, it makes him human in the end.

[charliechaplinfan]

I read the book not long ago but have never seen the film, Bel Ami has no redeeming qualities in the book, it sounds like it's the same in the movie too.

[JackFavell]

Yes that about sums it up Alison.