Between Two Women

In the thirties , Lilian Hellmann wrote a play about two schoolteachers ,one of whom fell in love with her colleague ;it was transferred twice to the screen by William Wyler as "these three " (but he was forced to avoid the lesbian side) and as "the children' hour" (in which Audrey Hepburn and Shirley McLaine were unforgettable)

I had not seen a more moving movie dealing with what was then a taboo subject since "the children's hour " ; in those years ,the gay ,be he a man or a woman ,had always a bad end ( " suddenly last summer" "the fox" "advise and consent "......)

It was then and it is now : things have changed and fortunately,people have become more tolerant with homosexuals .

But "between two women" takes place in the fifties ,just before WW2, which is often hinted at ; the depiction of the social background is precise and detailed :the macho husband working in the factory , the children playing with their toy train, the wireless set , Ellen marvelling at Kathy's bathroom, a stiffling society .And it's not so sure that both women will live happily ever after : their life will be uncertain, and ,like the train ,they may enter a dark tunnel where they might meet unfriendly people .

Barbara Marten and Andrina Carroll give superlative restrained performances : looks and smiles tell their whole story , those who watch Steven Woodcock's to get an eyeful will be disappointed : it's a psychological drama of the first order ; the rapport both actresses have is extraordinary ,although they are apparently worlds apart : Kathy is an educated woman whereas Ellen is a worker's wife whose husband got pregnant before her wedding : an intelligent woman, she certainly could have carried on with her studies ,had she been given the opportunity to. Her boy's drawings (which,although impressive, depicts a gloomy reality : walls ,factory,shadows, darkness ) may be the key to the world of culture she longs for .On his part ,her husband rejects this art ,and gets jealous of his own son who makes as much money with his picture as he makes in one month .

It' s obvious Ellen and Geoff have never been in love ,and the wife did not want to show her true colors ; the coming of luminous Kathy will make the difference ;the relationship is depicted with sensitiveness, warmth and decency .

A wonderful rendition of short time ago. Just loved it

Really enjoyed this film, the set design was fantastic and the attention to detail for such an old era was brilliant!! The only major let down in this film was the acting of the main younge boy victor, it was very poor.... And actually quite annoying because it just wasn't natural.

The storyline was slim, the actors were excellent and the tension true but there was far too much mere wanting and we didn't even get to enjoy the happy ending. It was as though this movie was made by a sexually uptight lesbian who loved the characters but was embarrassed by any physicality. Finally the overly dramatic and tacky music was distracting. There simply is not enough of a movie to write about that could fill up ten lines! A decent flick overall but all worry and no fun makes Jack a dull movie that was clean but plain. I would have to be bored out of my skull to view it again however worthy the film is in subtle ways.....can I stop writing now?

If you consider yourself a purist, romanticist or idealist, you would appreciate this title! Very subtle yet a captivating screenplay throughout. A magnificent portrayal of a woman's love that only could be brought by woman's heart. Devastatingly romantic story. I am quite impressed by the splendid talents of captivating leading casts, masterful director, screen writer and crew of those who made the creation of this Magnificent masterpiece possible. I would not call this movie a lesbian film. It deserves to be categorised as mainstream story of love and trust between women so beautifully and intimately portrayed

Since the beginning of civilisation philosophers, psychologists, many scholars and like had debated against the superiority of love that a woman can offer to all of man kinds (to both men and to women) . I personally view that of women are definitely superior to the others. Since the majority of us do not experience temporary loss of vision or complete loss of consciousness due to the required depth of sedation for major surgery such as open heart or open skull procedures. These procedures can cause tremendous trauma to your psyche. It is not unusual for patient and nurse to develop an almost like loving attachment to each other from the moment the nurse transfers you from a rolling bed to a recovery bed, then calling your name and caressing you as if rescuing you from desolated realm of unconscious. If you compare it with the same task performed by male surgical assistants at operating room ,you will be impressed with the fact that a woman's love is a priceless enlightenment. It is highly likely that someone like Ellen had finally awakened from a life-long repression to that enlightenment by following her own heart. Every female child has dreams of being swept up into a great adventure, of being the beautiful princess. Lamentably, when women grow up, they are often swept up into a life filled merely with demands, duty and responsibility. Many women are tired, struggling under the senseless pressure to be of a faithful servant, or a caregiver for children, husband or father and like. If Chen An had realised that demands from her father were unreasonable, the both girls could have survived. I have known an award winning blind female writer and her nurse companion who helped her publishing her novels until the end of writer's life age 72. The nurse died next summer found afloat on River Kamo during Gion Festival (Buddhist Spiritual season) leaving a will to be buried next to the writer. In fact I have seen them twice together on the bridge across a pond within the property of an ancient Buddhist temple in 1970's. Nurse were eyes to the writer and describing everything that the nurse can see. The both women looked very beautiful radiating the glory of love between them. They both were descendant of ancient noble families go back to 11th century and their presence seemed to enhance the tranquillity of the mid-autumn setting. I could not help but wishing their happy union forever from the moment I saw the strength and intensity of woman's love. I have always been a straight male, However, it has forever changed my attitude about woman's love. So let's wish the two women best luck and let them pursue their happiness! Julien Kujo a.k.a.,Pinecloud, Palo Alto, CA., USA