Ein schicksalhafter Sommer

I watch this gem about twice a year, when I feel like having a good cry. This film truly transports me to another time and place.

There are timeless morality issues dealt with in the story, and the unforgettable ending gives a person goose bumps. Seeing the film inspired me to read the story it's adapted from(The AppleTree.) There are some differences between the story and the film, of course, and the endings are somewhat different, although the overall idea is on the same wavelength. I feel the ending of the film is very,very strong and extremely suited to the film genre as compared to the written page.

The music is exquisite. Not only does it cast a beautiful spell from the very first note, but it remains in your mind long after the film is over.

A precious, precious film.

What a great story. Excellent acting. I watch my old VHS copy about once a year. So very sad, so realistic, so human. I stumbled on this one day while watching a partially recorded copy of the movie. The tape ended about 20 minutes before the end of the movie. I could not believe it. I closed my shop and immediately went to the video store and rented it to see how it ended. Probably not to extreme except for the fact that I'm an "action","sci-fi", "fantasy" kind of movie lover.............I can't recommend it highly enough, and easy 10+.

I don't think you will be disappointed.

This film, though little noticed by the general moviegoing public, is a beautifully photographed and acted masterpiece. It is a bittersweet tale of lost love, based on a short story ("The Apple Tree") by John Galsworthy. Most of the film, in writer Penelope Mortimer's skillful adaptation, is presented as a flashback -- sandwiched by an introduction and coda that are devastatingly poignant. Piers Haggard directs with a lighthanded touch that makes the characters seem utterly real. I cannot recommend this film too highly. Every time I view it, I am overwhelmed anew by its intense vision of human nature. A gem!

Too many people are missing a great story and a great movie.

Since I discovered this movie during the Summer of 1996, I've watched it about once a year. I was completely drawn into the story and the characters. So beautiful and so sad. I could not believe the way things ended. I was so very, very sad.

I wish it was out on DVD, but I can still watch my old VHS copy and have heartaches just the same. I gave it a "10" as I am seldom "moved" by this type of story. Being an action, sci-fi, and thriller type of guy, I think it speaks highly of the film that I enjoy watching this story over and over.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

I first saw this great little movie a few years ago while overseas in the Middle East on a late night movie channel that carried older "B" movies. I was so mesmerized with this tale, when it was over I spent 30 minutes long distance on the phone with my wife explaining the plot. When I got back to the States I some how found an old DVD of the movie on the internet and bought it immediately. My wife and I watched this wonderful movie again recently (Jan 2017) and ended up crying together all over again! A Summer Story is so well cast (Imogen Stubbs in the lead female role and James Wilby as the lead male) and with a story that is so beautifully written. The production values are extremely well done that you feel transported to the 1904 Dartmoor countryside and the lovely coastal town of Torquay. Beware to be supplied with a box of tissues for the plot climax at the end!

Technical Note: The DVD this viewer watched had high contrast, with narrow dynamic range, resulting in poor image detail in the shadows and highlights, and loss of screen resolution. Film chain transfer is of low quality and accomplished on a non-CCD device, with no digital post-transfer correction, and displayed reverse screen vignetting.