A Morta Apaixonada

I just loved this movie. It kept my interest in a most peculiar way, and it took me nearly to the end of the picture before I figured it out. None of the key scenes were ever emphasized with dramatic music swelling up, down, or out....anywhere. In fact, it did not have any music except for the piano playing in one scene. Most unusual. This movie came across almost as "play-like", without the typical "movie" accents. Very different, very good. The only drawback, if you can really call it that, was the distraction of James Mason made up to be a man much older than his original years when he made this. The make up artist utilized a lot of "spirit-gum" that was used around his face, and unfortunately, it is noticeable in many scenes. But don't let that deter you from seeing this wonderful film!

Although it could have done with a larger dose of atmosphere, and much less comic relief and romance, this is still a highly engaging classic film, with a number of thrilling moments and interesting ideas to keep it moving along. James Mason is excellent, even if sometimes a bit over-the-top, convincingly playing a character twice his age in real life. The photography is quite magnificent, with glides and pans effectively distributed throughout. The characters are generally good too, and in fact, there is little to complain about with this production. Lockwood's performance does lack conviction though, but almost everything else is great in this film about life, death, superstitions and more.

It's a little quaint by today's standards, but the writing is witty and the cinematography is excellent. More than that, it's an opportunity to see a 36 year old James Mason acting in a role where he ages 25 years. This was the one Gainsborough film he actually wanted to make, although he had hit the top of the charts with other Gainsborough Gothics such as The Wicked Lady and The Man in Grey. I was rather astonished at his ability to transform his extraordinary brooding good looks into those of a kindly, elderly gentleman with a twinkle in his eye. His gait, voice, and body movements so fitted the role of the elderly man, I believe he could have fooled me without all the makeup.

I should caution anyone that may be slightly impatient that you'll have to stick with this one for awhile before the story kicks into gear. Over the course of the first forty minutes or so it's a story focused on two elderly people and their young helper who meets a boy she falls in love with. This is all enjoyable enough, if a bit dull, depending on one's tolerance for such stories in older films. There's a sprinkling of mysterious goings-on building to what's to come later, but just a sprinkling. This isn't to discourage anyone from trying the movie. I just want to prepare you to view this when you aren't watching a clock. The pace does pick up midway through and here's where the mystery elements of the film really come into play.

All of the actors are good, particularly Margaret Lockwood. As others have pointed out, James Mason and Barbara Mullen are playing characters twice their age for some inexplicable reason. But they do well, with the usual "old people are kind and sweet and amusingly cantankerous" trope that permeated movies of the time. Ernest Thesiger has what amounts to a brief cameo (where he's dubbed, oddly). The role is important to the plot but given how little of his face you see, the part really could have been played by anybody. One more note: this is in no way a scary film. Some of the characters in the story may become frightened or bewildered but to the audience this is more of a mystery film with some supernatural overtones. This is worth pointing out for those expecting something akin to The Innocents or The Haunting. Still, it's a good but not great mystery film with some nice heart-warming humor and sentimentalism. Added points if you like British films of the period where everyone speaks and acts quite properly, except for the servants who add touches of color and comedy relief.

James Mason and Barbara Mullen have "A Place of One's Own" in this 1945 film also starring Margaret Lockwood and Dennis Price. The only problem is, someone else owns it, too - the ghost of the former owner, which Mr. and Mrs. Smedhurst (Mason and Mullen) discover when they move in. When they hire a companion for Mrs. Smedhurst, the beautiful Annette, things become very strange indeed. The more they learn about the former owner, the stranger it gets.

Mason for some reason, at the age of about 36, plays an elderly man; Barbara Mullen was a little older, but not by much. I immediately thought the story would be told in flashback, with Mason playing a younger man, but no. He does an excellent job. He has the walk and the voice of an old man. Lockwood creates a wonderful character, very sweet and genuine. She had a very wide range as an actress, as she proved in one of her best roles,in Wicked Lady, and years later, in Cast a Dark Shadow.

"A Place of One's Own" is slow and, for this writer anyway, totally predictable. If I had seen it in 1945, I might have felt differently. Despite good performances, it didn't really hold my attention. If you're not familiar with this genre, you will undoubtedly enjoy it more than I did. I came away feeling it was just okay.