Cartas a mi amada

"Love Letters" is a 1945 film starring Joseph Cotten and Jennifer Jones. It's a mystery/romance that also is a spin on "Cyrano de Bergerac."

As a favor to a buddy, British soldier Allen Quinten writes letters to his friend Roger's girlfriend Victoria while they are serving together, though Allen's conscience begins to bother him. He has also fallen in love with Victoria, and he believes that Victoria has fallen in love with a "man who doesn't exist."

Once discharged and back in the London area, he learns that Roger married Victoria and later was killed. As it turns out, Roger was murdered by Victoria, who served a year in prison for manslaughter.

Allen blames himself, feeling that the murder happened because Victoria was disillusioned when she realized she married a man who was not the person she fell in love with. When by coincidence he meets Victoria, she has amnesia. Once he finds out who she is, it's too late - they're in love, and he wants to marry her.

This is a really lovely film, based on a novel and adapted for the screen by Ayn Rand. Though it may not seem a likely subject for Rand, her personal philosophy is in play. "Cyrano de Bergerac" was one of her favorite stories, and she believed, as she shows in "Atlas Shrugged," that any deception in love can only lead to disaster.

There's not much mystery to the story - you know what happened from the very beginning - but the romance is good, as is the acting. Gladys Cooper plays Victoria's aunt, who suffered a stroke after the murder. She's very good.

Cotten and Jones make a great team as always, Cotten strong, sensitive, pensive and handsome, and Jones stunningly beautiful and fragile with that dreamy quality that made her so good in the later "Portrait of Jennie." "Portrait of Jennie" is more interesting and a better film overall, but both benefit from an ethereal performance by Jones and nice chemistry with Cotten.

The song "Love Letters" comes from this film. It is played throughout and adds to the lovely British country atmosphere. Highly recommended.

I am very fond of the stars and many members of the supporting cast. I adore Portrait of Jennie. I think Ayn Rand was a prophet and wise beyond the ability of most people to even comprehend. Putting all of that aside. Even putting aside all of the music, the clothes, the atmosphere and the dialog. This is still wonderful. This is a story of fate, of love and how the two sometimes come together in an undeniable vision that, once seen is never forgotten. This is a wonderful movie and I enjoy it more with each viewing. Now that Ms. Jones is gone. she can always be as she was here and that is, she was loved by not just one man but by almost everyone who saw her back then when she and the world were so very much younger. Fate, not always so kind but somehow this movie makes one feel that there are worse things than to be fated to an inescapable love.

This is an early "end of world war II" movie. The war is over and now the returning soldiers are trying to put their lives in order again.

Mostly set in a very rural part of England (Devon perhaps?). Cotton plays an emotionally scared veteran who tries to make amends for the wrong he has done, though it is really just a coincidence that he runs into the woman he somewhat inadvertently deceived (by writing letters on behalf of another man).

Jennifer Jones is quite good in this role that demands a youthful innocence. It sure doesn't hurt that she is a very beautiful young woman.

Good scenery and a good early effort at showing the true emotional cost of war on the vets who survive it.

It is not right that Random Harvest, which came 3 years earlier and played on very similar plot notes, is considered a timeless classic whereas Love Letters has somehow been relegated to the dustbin of cinematic history and is almost impossible to find these days.

First, the teaming of Cotton and Jones is magical. Cotton could not give a bad performance if his life depended on it (he was always the first casting choice for an Orson Wells project) and Jones had a rare on screen charisma which is unequalled in the present day. (Three years after this project, they did Portrait of Jennie together, a truly perfect and one of a kind production which leaves Random Harvest in its dust.)

Love Letters is not perfect but it is a still a masterpiece. The first act is flawless, especially the clever transition from Cotton's uneasy sense that writing love letters for another man is itself an act that only lead to calamity... to the almost Hitchcockian mystery as to what actually happened to Jones' character.

The second act however seems a bit long and perhaps stretched. Ninety minutes might have made a tighter film.

In spite of such quibbling Love Letters is a remarkable piece of entertainment and deserves more attention from cinephiles than it is getting.

This is one of my favorite movies of all times. Jennifer Jones and Joseph Cotten once again create magic and enchantment together on the screen. It also features magnificent performances by Ann Richards, Gladys Cooper, and Cecil Kellaway. "Love Letters" has everything a true Hollywood classic needs: romance, suspense, a surprise ending and of course, wonderful actors. I give "Love Letters" a 10!~