Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948)

Wonderful character development!

Very best movie i ever watch

To me, this movie is perfection.

Sorry, this movie sucks

A pianist about to flee from a duel receives a letter from a woman he cannot remember, who may hold the key to his downfall.What a very strange film. Although the title suggests the film is about a letter from an unknown woman, we spend most of the time following a woman and her love for a pianist. Is she connected to this letter? Is she the one dying in the hospital? And how is any of that related to the duel? Perhaps most strange is that although the film follows the original story very closely (from what I understand), it changes in one key instance: there is no duel in the original story, nor is there a character such as Johann. No duel? That is the big event lurking in the background of this entire story!

Taken from Stefan Zweig's story, LETTER FROM AN UNKNOWN WOMAN tells the sad tale of Lisa Berndle's (Joan Fontaine's) unrequited love for concert pianist Stefan Brand (Louis Jourdain), that begins during her teenage years and continues right up to her death, when she writes him a letter about her life. Max Ophuls' rendering of this story is quite simply brilliant: lighting, cinematography and music combining to create a portrayal of a woman imprisoned both physically and emotionally by her desires. The proliferation of prison images cast by the lighting, the iron railings of the Viennese setting, and the gates of Stefan's house is startling; on other occasions we see Lisa looking through the glass of a window at the world outside. The use of staircases is another noteworthy aspect of the film: she is either shown climbing them, looking down at Stefan below, or looking upwards to the upper floors, suggesting inaccessibility. This is a very fluid film, full of movement through corridors, through the winding streets of the (studio-bound) Viennese setting, or through the gilded halls of a palace of an opera house. No one, it seems, can settle in a world full of chance encounters and brief liaisons. The use of light and shadow helps to conjure up a world of dark secrets and ominous foreboding: when Stefan and Lisa embrace, none of the love-scenes take place in wholly bright light. Joan Fontaine's performance is also brilliant; her transformation from gawky teenager into a bourgeois aristocrat's wife is quite startling, as is her ability to register disappointment through a flicker of an eyebrow or a single glance at the camera. The swelling musical score from Daniele Amfitheatrof creates a romantic ambiance for the action to take place, as well as emphasizing the gulf between Lisa's aspirations and the painful realities she perpetually experiences. LETTER FROM AN UNKNOWN WOMAN is one of those films that demands repeated viewings in order to appreciate its subtleties.

There have been dozens of films about unrequited love, about heartbreak, about the lives of two individuals taking different paths...and there will continue to be, but "Letter from an Unknown Woman" stands above all of them. Why? What makes this film so special? Its simplicity. It's about a shy, young girl who falls for an older man who'll never be interested in her. It's a simple plot, yet this movie is one the most beautiful I've ever seen, in part, thanks to the beautiful Joan Fontaine, whose angel face and eyes didn't need any single word to express all the emotions a girl who's hopelessly in love could feel. She is the real star of this movie, and it's a pleasure to look at her; so simple, so gracious and so captivating. Louis Jordan is also excellent as the handsome man caught in a downward spiral. This movie is not easily forgotten. The piano and the train scene are among the loveliest I've ever seen in any movie. Every person out there who wants a beautiful love story should watch "Letter from an Unknown Woman". I assure you won't be disappointed. It's movies like these continuously reassert my love for classic cinema.

I guess I ain't got no class. I'm one of those who don't particularly appreciate this film. Not a bad film, and there are things I quite admired about it, but it didn't quite capture my fancy.The pluses: 1. A lot of care was taken here to make it seem authentic to Germany in that era. The street bands and the imaginary train travel. And a few of the sets are downright enchanting. Very nice touches...the type you rarely see.2. The link between the beginning and the end of the film. I won't mention what it is, but it did surprise me. And, it's clever.The minuses: 1. As with one of her other films, I had difficulty believing Joan Fontaine as a teenager in the beginning of the film...when she was actually 31 years old. Perhaps they should have just used a child actor for that part of the film.2. I didn't feel that Louis Jourdan's character was developed very well.In terms of acting, Joan Fontaine does well as the lead actress...once she becomes an adult. However, I don't feel this is close to being her best role; try instead "Suspicion" or "Rebecca". Louis Jourdan was fine as the cad, and I must admit that his piano playing seemed almost real. Art Smith had an interesting role as a mute servant. The remainder of the roles here are short, and the supporting actors do their jobs. But all the focus is really on Fontaine and Jourdan.It's a good film, but in my view, not a great film.