Morgen ist die Ewigkeit (1946)

Morgen ist die Ewigkeit: Directed by Irving Pichel. With Claudette Colbert, Orson Welles, George Brent, Lucile Watson. An American World War I soldier, whose disfigured face is reconstructed by Austrian plastic surgeons, returns home after twenty years, but no one recognizes him, his widow is married to another man, and his son is a grown young man.

“What a powerful story! So powerful to me, at least, that I have only watched it one other time and have little desire to see it again…..even though itu0026#39;s a fine movie. Itu0026#39;s too frustrating a story for me, frankly. I could NOT have done what Orson Wellesu0026#39; character did in this film. Welles, by the way, is outstanding in here. He, Claudette Colbert, George Brent and Richard Long provide some wonderful acting.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eLong, playing the elder son, presents a tremendous contrast of how a young man acted back in the 1940s compared to nowadays in terms of of respect and manners. The little girl in here is played by Natalie Wood. I wouldnu0026#39;t have known it was her had she not been mentioned on the back of the video box. She has blonde hair and is about five or six years old, and does an impressive job speaking German.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThis is a real heart-rendering story. The only drawback is the credibility of Colbertu0026#39;s character, u0026quot;Elizabeth Hamilton,u0026quot; the wife of Welles. A supposed war victim and gone for years after his marriage to her, Wells – despite now having a beard and aging a bit – would still be recognizable (at the least, audibly) to his former wife. It was asking a bit much to believe she wouldnu0026#39;t realize it was him, but itu0026#39;s still good storytelling and a film that hits you deeply. Speaking about the last point, if you liked 1942u0026#39;s u0026quot;Random Harvest,u0026quot; you probably would like this, too.”