Il ponte di Waterloo

I may only be 16 but I know a good movie when I see it. The only other movie I had seen Vivian Leigh was Gone With The Wind. I love this movie! Waterloo Bridge is on my Christmas list. These two beautiful actors really bring out the story. I recommend this movie to anyone who loves Vivian Leigh and romantic stories.

LeRoy made a film which flings prostitution in our faces, and in the faces of its characters - yet he doesn't dare mention the word or show the deed explicitly. I'm not complaining; the fact that no one dares utter the p-word helps the film immeasurably. The tragedy plays out best in an atmosphere in which Myra's moral stain, or purported moral stain, is LITERALLY an unspeakable one. No modern director (with the possible exception of David Mamet) would dare NOT be explicit.

Unfortunately for a love story, the love scenes are the only interactions lacking in electricity, the only interactions, in fact, that aren't interactions at all. They're the dull bits we endure in order to enjoy the real story. I should stress that they're still pleasant enough, so it's not MUCH of an endurance test.

And what IS the real story? The delightful thing about it, I think, is that it's perfectly ambiguous. Taken one way, the romance between hero and heroine is destroyed because of the power of a pervasive, yet false, moral belief: the belief that a prostitute is tainted, unfit for marriage, love, life itself. Taken this way the story is a social tragedy. But arguably the film is asking us to make believe that the pervasive moral belief is in fact true, that the heroine really is (through no fault of her own) tainted; taken THIS way, it's a kind of moral fantasy. Either way it works.

Vivien Leigh and Robert Taylor in the lead...that cast made many viewers in 1940 look forward to seeing them in the movie by Mervyn LeRoy based on the play by Robert E. Sherwood. They badly wanted to see Scarlett O'Hara from GONE WITH THE WIND and Armand Duval from CAMILLE, at that time their most celebrated roles. Nowadays, when we, as classic buffs, come back to such films like WATERLOO BRIDGE, it appears that this has three most significant prompts: to admire artistic performances far from computerized voices, to have a rest in classical imagination separated from the robotic world of machines, to turn into subtleness, a bit of sentimentality and romantic love separated from the automatically selfish noise of colorful vanity. Although some films of the era cannot be described in all those categories, WATERLOO BRIDGE can.

It's first of all a classical love romance of two people torn apart in the difficult times of WWI, a ballet dancer Myra (Vivien Leigh) and Lieutenant Roy Cronin (Robert Taylor). Since the action takes place in the London of the 1910s, the realities of that time are deeply rooted in Anglo Saxon elegance, calmness, public life. The Waterloo Bridge is a special place for the two: on the one hand, so significant and unforgettable; on the other hand, so tragic and nostalgic. The characters are very easy to identify with since the problems that they face are universal. War is only a background but all the feelings of fear, treason, separation, dreams, honor, desire for understanding and sincerity are every day bread for people of all times. Roy and Myra are very convincing as a pair and as a man and a woman in general. Their romance is short but very beautiful and particularly subtle. Pity we don't find many of such interpretations nowadays. The dialogs are first rate, the chemistry between Taylor and Leigh is the right one.

The performances are exceptionally fine. Vivien is beautiful and talented. She is not Scarlett O'Hara, she is even better in some moments. Robert Taylor is also magnificent as Cronin: very good looking and genuine in the role. No wonder he said once that WATERLOO BRIDGE had been his favorite film since here, he gives his finest performance. From the supporting cast, Lucile Watson is worth attention as an elderly kind hearted Lady Cronin, Roy's mum and Myra's mother-in-law to come. She wonderfully portrays someone of a very good heart and the first moment you see her, it's just obvious that you are looking at a decent person (dream to have such a mother-in-law...) Virginia Field is sweet as Kitty, Myra's friend but the performance is shadowed. The last of the cast I'd focus on is the great C. Aubrey Smith with this specific face and an aristocratic way of acting manners. He's brilliant as the Duke who at last has a chance to dance with Myra.

The direction by Mervyn LeRoy is outstanding together with cinematography and lighting. Vivien is beautifully photographed. But, finally I'd like to concentrate on a slightly different aspect that perhaps does not appeal to people today as much as it did 67 years ago but still a significant one: the movie touches the problem of people in poverty. What is there to do if a dream for any wealth or at least for slightly better financial conditions are in vain? What do people usually turn to? The director seems to be with them who are making terrible decisions in order to survive somehow. Mervyn LeRoy, having been poor himself in childhood, perfectly directs our attention on Myra, her psyche, her decisions and sorrows, her thoughts, her conscience, her exceptionally hard situation. Is it right to judge such people? What would we do in such circumstances?

But not to address the philosophical side of reflections since that is not the gist of the movie, I'd like to say something at the end. This film is very good, very worth seeking. I heartily recommend everyone to see WATERLOO BRIDGE, a movie where you will surely find something decent for yourself. Like love build bridges between people, WATERLOO BRIDGE builds bridges between generations now. It's a pure entertainment in silver screen but with a golden spirit of message! 8/10

... and I can hardly ever say that about precode films remade in the production code era.

The original Waterloo Bridge starred Mae Clarke and was considered a pre-code, with more stark portrayal and language about the heroine's fate. Although this 1940 version was under the heavy hand of the censors, I still like it just as much as the original version. Basically we have a young woman who believes the man she loves is dead and has no way to survive but the world's oldest profession. It's not a fate she chooses, just one that she has to choose in order to eat. Yet society judges her although nobody gives her an alternative.

Everyone remembers Vivien Leigh for "Gone with the Wind", but I think that this film and "That Hamilton Woman" are truly her best performances. The romance and chemistry between her and Robert Taylor is genuine, and just adds to the tragedy of the entire film, and then there's the final scene - which I can't tell you about without spoiling it for you. Just let me say that one piece of jewelry and one line spoken in remembrance makes the film complete.

The best decision I made for this year was to buy several videos and enjoy the old movies. Amongst the first purchases was of course "Waterloo Bridge," an unforgettable favorite. It's a tender love story that unfolds a beautiful romance shaken by the cold realities of WW1. I was reaching for kleenexes at certain intervals as it does get sad. Not only does Ms Vivien Leigh fulfil her role with feeling and charm, but to me her beauty is like an exquisite orchid, almost exotic in quality. Also, it's interesting to observe her in this next role after "Gone With the Wind." Obviously she's my favorite leading lady! Robert Taylor turns in a fine, sensitive performance, and with all that charm, what lady could resist? This is one of countless stories that could be told about the upheavals that wartime caused in people's lives. For anyone who appreciates good acting and a fine tale of romance, it's a must-see.