Quand vient l'hiver

This film is based upon a novel by a long-forgotten novelist, Arthur Stuart-Menteth Hutchinson (1879-1971), who was born in colonial India, and who earlier wrote a novel called THE HAPPY WARRIOR which was made into a silent feature film as long ago as 1917, in which Leslie Howard made his first feature film appearance. This film, IF WINTER COMES, was also initially made into a silent film in 1923 with a cast of actors all of whom are now entirely forgotten in the mists of time. The very powerful and disturbing story was thus a postwar tale, but one told of the aftermath of the First World War, but which is here recycled and set in the aftermath of the Second World War. Walter Pidgeon plays the lead, a gentle and kindly man living in the fictional Surrey town of Tidborough and married to an embittered harridan of a wife, played by Angela Lansbury, who certainly knew how to play embittered women and have a pinched face and the tongue of a serpent. The film is chiefly notable for the second screen appearance of Janet Leigh, aged twenty but successfully playing an innocent 16 year-old girl named Effie Bright, who is all sweetness and light. And who ever had a sweeter smile than Janet Leigh at this age? Despite being American, she manages a British accent successfully enough. The romantic female lead is played by an impassioned Deborah Kerr, at her most intense. She has returned to the town and has her heart set on joining up again with Walter Pidgeon whom she had jilted three years earlier when she ran off and married the wrong man. Pidgeon is a bit wooden, so that one wonders why all this passion is swirling around him. He is excellent at being kindly and noble, and in fact during my brief acquaintance with him in my teens, he was exactly like that offscreen. 'You couldn't find a nicer man.' But that is not the same as inspiring an controllable passion in Deborah Kerr when she is on heat. Oh well, that's the movies for you. Victor Saville did an excellent job of directing, and the film works very well. Dame May Witty has a cameo role, and it is always a pleasure to see her. The story however is very powerful and upsetting. It is about a man with a good heart who through his kindness becomes a central figure in a vast misunderstanding, where he stands accused of all sorts of terrible things which he did not do. Most of the people of the town are exposed as bitter and small-minded, and they turn against him en masse. It is really very harrowing indeed. This makes for good drama, and there is plenty of desperate tragedy.

If Winter Comes is an unusual story that pits pits Mark Sabre, a kind and respectable man played by Walter Pigeon, against a town that seems bent on vilifying anyone who strays from the straight and narrow, even when there is no real evidence for his presumed misdeeds. Walter Pigeon is in his usual role as a model citizen, which he plays so often in movies like Mrs. Miniver, Advise and Consent, and Executive Suite. Janet Leigh, Deborah Kerr, and Angela Lansbury, play his friend, lover, and wife, in that order. Janet Leigh was particularly good as the innocent girl, with whom he is presumed to have a romantic interest. Deborah Kerr is his real love interest and whose love and loyalty is unwavering. Deborah Kerr is usually typecast in roles as the English lady who is never quite at ease with the opposite sex. In this movie, she has no doubt about who is the love of her life and pursues Mark, despite the steadfast love of her own husband. Finally, Angela Lansbury is very cold, efficient and downright mean as Mark's wife. Reginald Owen is the boss who uses a morality clause in Mark's contract to get revenge on a man whose generosity and common touch are too unconventional for his liking. I was pleased with the cast of the movie with Deborah Kerr shining in the final court room scene.

This MGM film from 1947 was based on a fine book from the 1920s set in the World War One era. That book, and the silent film originally made from it (which I think is lost) were extremely popular in their day, though largely forgotten now.

The story, with spiritual-religious overtones, is about Mark Sabre, a man who is truly doing his best to live according to his principles.

It's set in a small English village, where, despite being misunderstood and even persecuted for his humanitarian actions, Sabre carries on according to his values. In the course of events, he loses his job, marriage, even his health, but refuses to surrender or lose his soul, as it were.

The updating of the story from one war to another (World War Two) seems rather arbitrary. It should work, but the whole thing had more validity in the earlier period. I'm not sure why.

There's also something slightly off about the tone of the production. There's not enough subtlety, especially in the rather heavy-handed direction (Victor Saville). Some of the supporting characters aren't very well rounded - especially when they're the less likable ones. Angela Lansbury as Sabre's wife and Reginald Owen as his boss fall into this category. They're almost hissable villains, at times.

Deborah Kerr and Janet Leigh, on the other hand, come across better as more likeable and principled people in Sabre's life.

Walter Pidgeon is meant to carry the film, more or less (Kerr, the leading lady - though excellent - has less screen time). As an actor, Pidgeon is, as always, good, but still not in the category of a Ronald Colman or a Robert Donat. He's also too old for the part, and (though it's not that important), not actually English.

Nonetheless, it's a compelling story, and, while the film is no masterpiece, the basic plot and premise of the original novel carry it along and hold the interest.

This movie, wonderfully performed, touches some deep aspect of human life under stress. The combination of war and love affairs is not new. Neither it is the attraction between a mature man and a young girl. However, the spectators must be mislead if they follow that path. Why the movie is about trusting, at different levels: husband and wife, lovers, mature and young, at home, at work, at the pub. There is also a political involvement: the voice of the people, which has two sides. Love can be lost, honor will not. This motto is crucial.The war is an ominous backstage, never shown. Walter Pidgeon makes an extraordinary performance, the rest of the cast does not lag behind. The final scene is simply convincing: as it has to be. Appreciating it requires some insight, undoubtedly.

This film begins in England...just a few months before World War II begins in Europe. Mark (Walter Pigeon) and Mabel Sabre (Angela Lansbury) have been married three years--and it turns out he married her on the rebound. His old fiancée, Nona (Deborah Kerr) has just returned to her home town....the first time since she broke Mark's heart. Mark and Nona are foolish, as the start spending time together alone 'as old friends'. Not surprisingly, however, it stirs up feelings within them--dangerous feelings for both their marriages. Soon, however, Mark pushes Nona away and remains true to his wife.

Over time, it becomes painfully obvious that Mark is a very nice guy. While his wife is easy to dislike since she's so unpleasant, he wants to fulfill his obligations to her and the marriage. He also is very kind to a young neighbor, Effie (Janet Leigh)--as she lives with a puritanical and tyrannical father. When Effie becomes pregnant and is thrown out of her home, Mark invites her to live with them. This throws Mabel into a nastier than usual mood. She verbally abuses her servants and so they quit, then she lets Mark know that Mark must do nothing to help Effie. Mark chooses, instead, to tell his wife to get out...she's gone too far.

After young Effie moves in, Mark's boss uses this as an excuse to break his contract by firing him. They claim he's violated a morals clause. Can things get worse in this very soapy film....oh, yeah! The moralistic town begins to boil like a cauldron...why and what happens is something you'll need to see for yourself. Be aware, however, that it is a bit racy for a 1940s film.

While you do feel sorry for Mark because he's such a decent guy, as you watch you might also feel that he's incredibly foolish and makes many dumb choices. Clearly he's backed himself into a corner and now it looks like everyone is ready to tear him to pieces.

Despite Mark being a bit dumb (and by the end he seems like a TOTAL idio), the film is pretty good. As I mentioned above, it is very soapy--like a traditional soap opera with LOTS of salacious elements. But it works because the acting is so good--otherwise the film might have come off as too over the top and perhaps even silly. Worth seeing but blunted a bit because Mark was just too nice--almost a putz in the film. Otherwise I might have scored it a bit higher.