Arch of Triumph

It's always a lot of fun to watch Anthony Hopkins struggle through mediocre films made before his Merchant-Ivory days & the breakthrough of "The Silence Of The Lambs," & he is by far the best thing about this made-for-television remake of the 1948 Ingrid Bergman-Charles Boyer film. The Remarque novel, written long after his success with "All Quiet On The Western Front," seems to want to contrast the Hopkins character, Dr. Ravic, in his Paris surroundings with his love affair with Joan Madou (played here by a hopelessly miscast Lesley-Anne Down in the Bergman role). But I honestly don't think the story needed the love affair; in such a time of tension & grief, love is always a cliche, & this story isn't good or strong enough to rise above the inherent corniness of the theme.

Hopkins, as Ravic, is a German citizen who helped Jewish people escape from the murderous anti-Semitic Fatherland. He spent time in a concentration camp & has a horrible scar as a reminder. He lives without papers in Paris, under a false name, aware always that the minute the gendarmes near him he could be sent away or imprisoned as an illegal alien. He dreams of the day he can revenge himself on the Gestapo officer who sent him away, who tortured his friends & who tortured & raped his only love, Sybil. (In this version, Donald Pleasance plays Haake, the Nazi murderer, & does a creepy job, especially when Ravic meets him later & he doesn't recognize his own handiwork.) One night, on a bridge, Ravic encounters Joan Madou, & he rescues her from a possible suicide attempt. Madou understandably latches on to Ravic, & at some point a romance begins.

At this point in the plot summary, you are not required to suppress a yawn; it sounds like something you've heard a million times before & you'll see a million times more. My thoughts while watching this movie were simply this: the strength of the story - German exile trapped in doomed Paris on the eve of German invasion looking for revenge while trying to stay alive - didn't need the love story to propel it. Surely there were other opportunities for Hopkins to show his human side than to act jealous when Down confesses to have other lovers! His relationship with the Russian exile, played with vodka-gulping panache by Frank Finlay, had a reality to it that the walks on the beach in Normandy with Down could barely compare with.

Hopkins, of course, had his greatest work before him, & he made the wonderful "84 Charing Cross Road" a year after this. But he is quite good here with his slight German accent & his subtle performance. He is perhaps the only reason to see this, & since I haven't seen the 1948 version (which I hear is pretty dreadful), I can't tell you how he compares to Boyer. But if you're in the mood for a thriller set in dangerous times, this is fairly standard viewing with the highlight of a good Hopkins performance.

Remake from 1948 classic with the same title starred by Charles Boyer and Ingrid Bergman that resulted to be a big budget box office loser . It's a romantic drama set in WW2 with excellent actors as Anthony Hopkins , Leslie Anne Down and Donald Pleasence . The film tells about Dr. Ravic (Anthony Hopkins , role played in classic version by Charles Boyer), he's a German doctor exiled , living in Paris before the Nazis penetrate into the city . Under false name and with no papers , aware always that the Surete(French gendarmes) could be sent away or jailed . The doctor befriends a good friend (Frank Finlay in the character performed by Louis Calhern ) who is club-caretaker called Scherezade . One day he sees to Haake (Donald Pleasence similar role to Charles Laughton) a Gestapo official who tortured him and his anterior love and he's looking for revenge . One night in a bridge over river Sena , the refugee medic finds Jean Madou (Lesley Anne Down who sings a wonderful song , she plays the Ingrid Bergman's character), a beauty and mysterious gal and he rescues her from a suicide attempt. The WWII isn't the best environment for romanticism and a love affair but he falls is love with her.

The film is a romantic melodrama about an unfortunate refugee who falls in love with a mysterious woman just before the Nazis enter Paris and played by over-the-top actors. However is slow moving with sluggish pace and little bit boring . The casting is frankly sensational as Anthony Hopkins as sad refugee and gorgeous Lesley Anne Down as unlucky damsel in disgrace are top-notch . The secondary cast is awesome, impressive Donald Pleasence as Nazi official, one of the his usual roles as villain and the lion's share of the acting meat deservedly goes to Frank Finlay as an exiled Russian colonel of the Czar who's a doorman in a show-coffee. Atmospheric cinematography though is necessary an urgent remastering and sensible musical score by George Deleure . The motion picture based on a novel by Erich Maria Remarque is professionally directed by Warris Hussein who directed various TV movies based on biographies ( Wives of Henry VIII, Princess Daisy , Edward and Mrs Simpson), a teenager drama (Melody) , terror (Posession of Joel Delaney) and many others. The picture will appeal to Anthony Hopkins enthusiast .

Stars anthony hopkins, lesley-anne down, donald pleasence. Wart In paris, leading up to the german invasion, austrian doctor ravic is working in a local hospital. The music and the camera movement give a surreal atmosphere, and there are frequently two songs playing in the background simultaneously. Ravic thinks he has spotted an old memesis also in paris. Under the Arch, he has met joan, also a refugee. Or is she? She has her own problems and issues to be resolved. All very trippy. What will happen when ravic catches up with the very dangerous haak? Whose side is joan on? Can she be trusted? It's quite good. Hopkins seems to choose these offbeat films with some murder, mystery, and mayhem. Directed by waris hussein. Based on the novel by erich remarque.