Il ponte di Waterloo

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.

In the World War I, British Captain Roy Cronin (Robert Taylor) meets the young ballerina Myra Lester (Vivien Leigh) at the Waterloo Bridge during a German air strike and they head together to the bomb shelter. They immediately fall in love with each other and before leaving to the front, Roy proposes to marry her. However his troop anticipates the embarking to the front and they do not get married. The ballet company owner Madame Olga Kirowa (Maria Ouspenskaya) dismisses Myra and her best friend Kitty (Virginia Field) and they do not find a new job. When Myra reads on the newspaper that her fiancé has died in action, she becomes a prostitute to survive. One day, Myra is seeking out clients at the train station and she sees Roy arriving in London and rekindling their love. Will Myra support to hide the truth from her beloved fiancé?

"Waterloo Bridge" is a beautiful and dramatic love story and one of the best roles of Vivien Leigh and Robert Taylor. Their chemistry is fantastic in the first and romantic part of the story. The plot point turns one of the most beautiful and unforgetable romances into a heartbreaking drama with a very sad conclusion. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "A Ponte de Waterloo" ("The Waterloo Bridge")

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.

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.

Robert Taylor's favorite movie is also rumored to be one of Vivien's favorites--although at the time she was sorry that Laurence Olivier had not been cast in it. (She was always seeking him as her screen partner!) But Taylor delivers the goods--great charm, presence and obviously respecting the fine role that he plays. Vivien Leigh is a revelation--here she is fresh from Scarlett O'Hara and able to inhabit another character's skin with ease, back in her oh-so-British mode and looking as young and beautiful as ever. It's a pleasure that two such charismatic stars are still being seen in this--their finest moments on screen in one of the greatest tear-jerkers of the '40s. Special mention should be given to Lucille Watson for the way she plays the restaurant scene with Leigh at their first meeting--the mother-in-law getting the wrong impression from Leigh's reception. All of it is romantic, tender and charming--with an Anna Karenina-like ending after a surprising twist. For fans of Taylor and Leigh, it doesn't get any getter than this.