Prisonniers du passé

Thank heaven Sydney Pollack did not have amnesia when choosing this year's Essentials for TCM. I had long heard of "Random Harvest," primarily from relatives who saw it on first release, but never had the chance to see it for myself until this year.

What a wonderful movie. It's never overly sentimental, it's wistful and suspenseful at times, and buoyed by supreme performances from Ronald Colman and Greer Garson.

And who knew Greer could sing and dance like Marlene Dietrich! Colman was so versatile; one of the few actors who was just as successful in talkies as he had been in silents. He was by turns dashing, heroic, dignified, playful and romantic. Here he gets to be all of them. And Greer is his equal. This movie (and "Valley of Decision") made me a fan of hers, plus we have the same birthday.

Sydney Pollack was right in abandoning his long-held plans to remake "Random Harvest." It simply couldn't be done again. Mervyn LeRoy, the James Hilton story and that wonderful company of actors can't be bested.

Along with NOW, VOYAGER and CASABLANCA, RANDOM HARVEST is one of the three most emotionally satisfying movies to ever come out of Hollywood's classic period, and a great example of the best that MGM had to offer in the '40s. Beautifully accomplished in every department from writing to art direction to cinematography to scoring, you have only to watch the first scene (so like REBECCA's) to be drawn in by it and then consistently surprised and entertained. And reading the 28 other comments here, I am struck by the unanimity of opinion -- because what makes the contrived plot believable scene by scene, and what causes the picture as a whole to live so warmly in the memory, is the unbeatable work from Ronald Colman and Greer Garson.

More than MRS. MINIVER, this is the archetypal Garson performance: her tact, gentle humor and intelligent restraint are in perfect service to her character and the story. If she seems too starry and aristocratic to be a lowly music hall performer, she is right in every other respect, particularly as an efficient secretary, society hostess and perfect helpmate. And this is Ronald Colman's best work ever. He should have won his Oscar for this lovely, subtle performance rather than for the strained work he did in A DOUBLE LIFE. Full of wistfulness as the amnesiac early in the film, there is real heartbreak in the way he says the line "I would have liked to have belonged to them" about the couple he hopes will turn out to be his parents. But he is just as convincing later as the confident, energetic 'Industrial Prince of England.'

Colman and Garson are the perfect grownup romantic couple: they make intelligence and maturity seem impossibly glamorous, and they embody the idea that friendship, loyalty and mutual respect must be at the center of every enduring love.

James Hilton wrote a handful of works whose staying power and emotive intensity compare with the greatest of all written literature. Taken from the great book, "Random Harvest" is one of the most beautiful and tender movies I have ever seen. Flawless acting, memorable cinematography, multi-dimensional characterizations, gorgeous scenery and peerless direction augment the pleasure of witnessing this great film.

For Hilton aficionados, this cinematic gem sparkles and gleams in the sun of Hilton's undying faith in eternal optimism, hope, sacrifice and love. The story is true to the Hilton novel and left me with gratitude rekindled for all of life's great bounties and blessings, not the least of which are the everlasting bonds of love we create and re-create through mortality.

Personally, I find the story parabolic on a deeply significant level: indeed we all are children of a great--yes, royal--family; sometimes we live our mortal lives with a dismissive attitude toward what turn out to be the turning points in our lives; oftentimes it takes us all our lives to find out who we really are; we walk through life constantly "adjusting our glasses" to see more clearly, when the very key is to adjust OURSELVES so that the "glasses" we HAVE help us see clearly; and finally, love DOES conquer all.

See this fabulous movie with a dear one and experience the magic.

The weepie to end all weepies! The two leads are perfect, the plot twists and turns, and Hollywood 'England' has never looked more lovely.

I'm also fascinated by the opening, given that Coleman had been through WWI, and must have known people with bad shell-shock, even if he escaped it himself. (For a modern take, try Pat Barker's 'Regeneration' trilogy.)

I think one of the reasons this sort of film is so appealing, is because of it's now-dated attitudes to commitment and relationships - you just can't imagine this story (or for that matter Brief Encounter) working nowadays - the protagonists would have taken shortcuts.

But here's to the days when this was the way one behaved!

One of the most irretrievably romantic films ever made, Random Harvest is an absolute must for romantics of all ages. I'd agree that Ronald Colman is a bit too old for the early parts of the story, but that didn't stop him from giving a magnificent performance. And Greer Garson is every bit his match in a perfect role. However, if you possibly can, read James Hilton's amazing book first; the movie totally negates the important plot twist that makes the last page of the book such an incredibly emotional experience.