The great passion
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | The great passion |
| Original title | The Passionate Friends |
| Country of production | United Kingdom |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1949 |
| length | 97 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 16 |
| Rod | |
| Director | David Lean |
| script |
Eric Ambler , David Lean, Stanley Haynes |
| production | Ronald Neame |
| music | Richard Addinsell |
| camera | Guy Green |
| cut | Geoffrey Foot |
| occupation | |
| |
The Great Passion is a 1948 British film by David Lean . The script is based on a 1913 original by HG Wells . Claude Rains , Ann Todd and Trevor Howard play the leading roles .
action
The story is about a classic love triangle: a woman between two men, one of whom is married to her and the other is her childhood sweetheart. Mary Justin tells her life story in a flashback during a vacation stay in Switzerland, where she waits for her husband, the much older banker Howard Justin, who is still busy with business matters and wants to join her later.
It was nine years ago that Mary saw her childhood sweetheart Steven Stratton shortly before the outbreak of war in 1939 and who happened to be accommodated in the room next door to the Swiss mountain hotel. Mary and Steven were once a couple, and the young man even wanted to marry her. But Mary got scared; she found marriage too restrictive and oppressive to her. Steven fought for her, but she abandoned him and later turned to her current husband, whose proposal she, contrary to her original beliefs, accepted. Apparently, material values counted more than feelings; in any case, what she loved about Howard was the social and financial security that he was able to offer her. Obviously, as the story goes on, Mary feels that intense love, which she does not feel for Howard, is generally threatening.
The last meeting between the couple Howard and Mary on the one hand and Steven Stratton on the other hand begins a little stiffly. Stratton is with young Pat. One strangers first, and Howard pretends not to recognize his former competitor. But then Steven contacts Mary again and tries to persuade her to separate from her husband. Howard reluctantly accepts that his wife is in social contact with Steven. One of these social ventures one day raises questions for Howard. Mary explains to her husband that she and Steven were in the theater, but this cannot be true because she had forgotten the tickets at home. Howard asks the two of them about the evening, but quickly notices that they are lying to him. Steven puts everything on one card and presses Howard to finally let his wife Mary go, because she (still) loves him, Steven. Mary then asks Steven to go to speak to her husband about this delicate matter alone.
When Steven wants to visit Mary in her home, he first meets Howard, who maintains composure and shows himself understanding. Steven suspects that he doesn't really know Mary, let alone understand, Howard, in turn, that it wasn't necessarily great love that had brought Mary to his side as his wife. And yet he certainly believes that what Mary is looking for in a marriage, only he can give her, and certainly not Steven, who is much more possessive towards Mary than he, who allows her her freedom. In a discussion between Mary and Steven, she confirms her husband's thoughts and runs away before Steven can dissuade her from her demeanor.
So now, after nine long years of non-contact, the protagonists meet in the Swiss Alps. In fact, Mary meets Steven. Howard is still doing banking, and Mary and Steven use the last day before Steven has to return to London for a trip to the lake and a picnic in the mountains. Steven tells Mary that he married Pat and that he has two children with her. Mary asks him if he is happy and feels a little jealous when she wishes to be in Pat's place. When both return from their excursion, Howard has meanwhile arrived. He sees the two of them getting out of the excursion boat. Howard goes to his hotel suite and sees the hotel servant picking up Stevens' suitcase from the room next door. Immediately he suspects that something might have happened between his wife and Steven Stratton in his absence. When Mary waved goodbye to Steven on the hotel terrace, Howard's suspicions about Mary's supposed infidelity are reinforced. Howard is jealous as he reads her feelings for Steven on her face. Howard firmly believes that his wife cheated on him and wants a divorce.
These developments also throw Steven's private life into chaos. Mary doesn't want Stevens life to be damaged by Howard's action and meets with him one last time. She pretends that Howard has withdrawn the divorce suit and that all is well and that Steven can return to his wife and children. Then Mary seeks a conversation with Howard and makes it clear to him that absolutely nothing happened between her and Steven in Switzerland. She is amazed to learn from her husband that he did not file for divorce because of this episode. Rather, he feels cheated out of what he expected as a minimum from this marriage: affection and loyalty. Then he yells at her to leave and smashes a vase on the floor. In his anger, Howard finds that he truly loves Mary and that his love corresponds to that which Steven once received and which he, Howard, had previously disliked. In light of this, Howard regrets his words.
As if in a trance, Mary wanders through the streets of London and finally crosses an underground station. A train pulls in and she approaches the platform in a dizzying gait, dark thoughts in the back of her mind. One more step and she will fall in front of the train. But at the last moment she is held back by a hand: it is her husband's who hurried after her to the subway station. They both reconcile on the platform and it seems that they both want to rearrange their marriage and get it started right now.
Production notes
The great passion arose in 1948 in Pinewood Studios (interior shots) near London as well as in Chamonix and on Lac d'Annecy (both Haute-Savoie, exterior shots). The world premiere took place on January 26, 1949 in London. The German premiere was on August 30, 1949.
The film structures were designed by John Bryan , the costumes by Margaret Furse . George Pollock was Lean's assistant director, Oswald Morris was the simple cameraman under Guy Green's chief camera. Muir Mathieson took over the musical direction.
The great passion was shown in Cannes in 1949 and nominated for a prize.
Four months after the premiere, director Lean married his leading actress Ann Todd.
Reviews
"Mr. Lean plants his clues with the certainty of a master in a detective story, and increases their effect with the safe handling of the camera and soundtrack. "
"The very simple triangular drama found an experienced director in David Lean, who turned it into a little old-fashioned entertainment film with no ambitions."
"Predictable love triangle among senior class representatives, enhanced by a strong cast and Lean's artistry."
"A simple and obviously dramatic starting position is tricked together by flashbacks and the unmistakable noble look handwriting of its director in order to create satisfying entertainment."
Web links
- The passion in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- extensive film review in the New York Times