Un seul amour (1943)

Un seul amour: Directed by Pierre Blanchar. With Pierre Blanchar, Micheline Presle, Geneviève Morel, Henri Coutet.

“Loosely based of Honoré De Balzacu0026#39;s two short stories ,this is the second of the two movies actor Pierre Blanchar directed.As you do not change a winning team,this movie enjoys again Christian Matras u0026#39;s remarkable cinematography and Arthur Honnegeru0026#39;s superb score. u0026quot;Un Seul Amouru0026quot; is IMHO ,superior to the former effort.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003e1)A screenplay influenced by u0026quot;Citizen Kaneu0026quot; :the heroineu0026#39;s niece inherits her castle and ,with her companion,tries to understand who her relative really was;sometimes flouting chronology (the scene of the deathbed),with a stunning editing which masterfully introduces the flashbacks;and the famous last word u0026quot; Rosebudu0026quot; is replaced by the sentence Clara whispers just before she dies :u0026quot;Iu0026#39;ve got something else to tellu0026quot;.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003e2)The romantic escapist movie of the occupation days is given a unusually inventive treatment: the hero gives up his career and his love sacrifices her passion for dancing:the first scene is a ballet ,and Matrasu0026#39;s camera captures her dance in the early morning grass ,before she meets her husband.But they know their bliss will be short-lived :u0026quot;there are happy people,says Clara ,who do not want other people to be so.u0026quot;u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003e3)Other influences show:u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003ethat of Henry Hathawayu0026#39;s u0026quot;Peter Ibbetson u0026quot;;a dreamlike sequence was already present in Blancharu0026#39;s first effort;here a happy end , in the hereafter ,where the two ghosts meet in the garden where they were happy ,proves that love triumphs in the end ,because ,in spite of their faults,Clara and her beloved husband remained true to themselves .u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003e….and even Poeu0026#39;s Gothic horror :thereu0026#39;s a mysterious door,no one is allowed to open because it hides things better left unsaid.Gérard had a door bricked up ,and the crucifix the dying Clara keeps in her bed causes,in a strange manner,her death.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eLike in the great escapist movies of the occupation days ,Carnéu0026#39;s u0026quot;Les Visiteurs Du Soiru0026quot;(1942) and Delannoy/Cocteauu0026#39;s u0026quot; Lu0026#39;Eternel Retour u0026quot; (1943) ,in u0026quot;Un Seul Amouru0026quot; ,thereu0026#39;s no way out for the doomed lovers;they cannot survive in the world of the living ,which in those days was truer than ever,they are people legends are made of.The impressive last picture follows Clarau0026#39;s fingers as she reaches for the sundial.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eExcellent performances by the director and his leading lady ,Micheline Presles;good support by Gabrielle Fontan and Julien Bertheau.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAn unsung gem of the occupation days.”