Sorry for anyone who noticed my delayed column. I was occupied with school and work. Well, not so much work, how to get out of work. I learned a valuable lesson, though. When you go to the bathroom at your job, don't go all at once. If you save some, it only gives you an excuse to go back 10 minutes later. What do I do? You ask. Nevermind that. Just take comfort in the fact that I'm not a fireman or anything. Come to think of it, serious film reviewers must make the worst firemen. Your place would be burning down and we would be reciting Steve McQueen's lines from THE TOWERING INFERNO. Okay, I guess I can't speak for all film reviewers. Just me. This column will discuss LOVE AFFAIR (1939, '94) and a number of its remakes. If you're wondering how everything I've said transitions into this, it doesn't. Smooth transitions are for sissies.
LOVE AFFAIR is actually a unique remake chain to study. It started off in 1939 as a fillm telling the now-so-familiar tale of two lovers who meet on a ship and have an affair. Six months later, when they were supposed to reunite, an injury prevents the female half of the relationship gets injured and cannot make the rendezvous. The great Irene Dunne and the quite good Charles Boyer play the two leads. The film was directed and co-written by Leo McCarey who directed a number of films that have gone down as greats in Hollywood history (DUCK SOUP, INDISCREET, and THE AWFUL TRUTH among them).
But perhaps most interestingly, McCarey directed LOVE AFFAIR's remake, AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER, as well. This film featured the same plot, similar characters, but made a few key changes. For one Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr starred in this version (odd seeing as Grant and Dunne were and still are one of cinema's greatest pairs). This version was also in Technicolor, a feature that McCarey took full advantage of in his scenic, panoramic shots of Italy. In fact, these shots were so breathtaking, the film received an Academy Award nomination for best cinematography (along with best costume design, best music, and best musical score). But perhaps most notably, the film was remade by its original director! McCarey stated that he remade the film to make it more colorful, more cinematographically pleasing (with the use of CinemaScope), and longer.
McCarey's first two goals were worth while. The film did make beautiful use of the tools of its time. As far as its length, the original LOVE AFFAIR, running at 87 minutes, did a fine job of explaining the story with brevity. AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER, while also telling the tale wonderfully, contained a few more extra scenes that may not have been necessary. Deborah Kerr "singing" (it was dubbed) the title theme towards the end of the film was not the most essential scene in the world. In fact, it did little but distract the viewer from the plot.
Don't let the length turn you off, though. Both versions are well worth the watching. The older LOVE AFFAIR is good to watch for more subtle symbolism more common to the black-and-white picture whereas AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER is great for its appropriate use of finely-tuned cinematic instruments (Technicolor and CinemaScope). Not to mention the acting in both is as crisp and snappy as one would expect from their stars. The only issue now, however, is that we don't really have a well-preserved or restored version of LOVE AFFAIR. The DVD is full of dirty specks and skips that negatively affect one's viewing experience. AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER looks great on FOX's Studio Classics restored DVD film collection (it's number 3, I think).
Just to touch on the other remakes of this classic: there was a remake done in 1994 of the same name as the '30s original. It stars Warren Beatty and Annette Bening and is hardly worth watching or talking about. The only chemistry Beatty and Bening may have is that their last names both start with "B." The only breath of fresh air is Katherine Hepburn, who makes an appearance as the male lead's grandmother. The film SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE also contains some similarities to LOVE AFFAIR, but it is pretty much its own film.
So my point is this: see the first two versions. They are both equally good and all you need to see. As the caveat of cinema seems to state: time screws everything over. The later flicks can be left on the "Doug Recommends" shelf of your local Video Store. As for me, well, I feel the firemen's academy calling. So I'll leave you with one final thought, "For what it's worth, architect, this is one building I thought would never burn."
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For anyone who's ever been told "You should have seen the original," this column provides insight into any film that’s been remade, rehashed, or re-envisioned.
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| Jonathan Alexandratos |
Jonathan is a college student in New York. He is already an accomplished writer, having completed 3 full-length plays and numerous poems. He is also working on his first book.
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