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Rating:
If Bartleboom's mission is to review all Bond, James Bond, films, mine is to review films from the past, in particular, films by European directors who emigrated to America.
And so, after Billy Wilder and Murnau, it is the turn of Joseph L. Mankiewicz who, with "Letter to Three Wives" in 1949, gained great public acclaim, even winning two Oscars for best director and best adapted screenplay.
From a novel by John Klempner.
Letter to Three Wives is an amused portrait (the comedy tone is predominant) but also a caustic one of a certain American bourgeoisie in the post-war period.
Deborah (Jeanne Crain) Rita (Ann Sothern) and Lora (the splendid Linda Darnell who would die at only 40 due to a fire that developed in her home) are three friends and wives, respectively of Brad, a big shot in the American navy (Jeffrey Lynn), George, a brilliant but penniless teacher (a young but already excellent Kirk Douglas), and Berto, a wealthy owner of an appliance store chain (Paul Douglas, Kirk's older brother).
One day, the three friends go on a school picnic but before leaving, they receive a letter from Eva Ross.
Eva Ross, a voiceover, fascinating and bewitching woman of mystery who is never seen… a woman for whom the three husbands have always had a soft spot, perhaps something happened “they always talk about me” Eva narrates in voice-over, “they talk about what I might have done… if they really knew…”
In the letter, Eva writes to the three wives that she has run away with one of their husbands!
Which one will it be?
The three women try to conceal their deep dismay, they have always envied Eva for her charm, for her exclusivity, for the fact that they have always known that their husbands were secretly in love with her…
From here on, the film shows the inner perspectives of the three women, between conjectures and flashbacks…
The film is truly successful. Once again, I acknowledge that certain old cinema boasts excellent writing and construction. An absolute rigor, a care for dialogues, sometimes brilliant (you laugh more than once, Rita and George's maid is amazing) sometimes corrosive, cynical.
It is interesting to note that already in 1949, appearance had surpassed being and that consumerism (don't miss George's critiques of the radio world, especially his invective against radio advertisements) was already galloping full speed.
100 minutes that flow like an express train.
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