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Saturday, March 28, 2009

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947) [NR] ****/*****


A film review by Jeffrey Kauffman for Blu-ray.com, December 4, 2013.

My wife loves The Ghost and Mrs. Muir and watches it frequently, becoming misty eyed every time she does. I asked her what the allure of the film was to her and she told me without missing a beat, It's about a perfect relationship—the man is dead. Ba-da-boom, cue rim shot, please. Baby Boomers no doubt remember the television version of The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, a fitfully entertaining enterprise that sought to stuff the whimsical romance between a ghost and a living woman into the magical fantasy genre that was then quite popular with shows like Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie. But the 1947 film is a much more bittersweet affair, one suffused with a romantic longing and even sadness that gives its story of not just an unconsummated but an unconsummatable love affair its emotional heft. The Ghost and Mrs. Muir is also in its own sometimes bleak way a paean to female empowerment. Gene Tierney plays widowed Lucy Muir, who defies her late husband's family by moving to a tiny seaside village and renting a kind of spooky old house on a bluff. Lucy soon discovers that the spookiness of the place is well earned, for the house is haunted by the ghost of its long ago former resident, one Captain Daniel Gregg (Rex Harrison), a moody but lovable specter who is able to reach through the ether and touch Lucy. Lucy, as so many early 20th century women did, really has no prospects outside of marrying again, but she's a headstrong woman and determined to make her own way in the world. And it's here where The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, despite its historical setting, is really rather forward thinking. Lucy is a woman of action, not one to simply throw up her hands as a helpless victim and let the world have its way with her. Lucy's activism spills out in some unexpected ways, and even after an ostensible (living) romantic interest shows up, the film does not follow traditional tropes of happily ever after. This is three hankie fare of the highest order, and even crusty hardscrabble males may find themselves tearing up a little bit as the film wends its way to its sad - but hopeful - finale.

Lucy's headstrong nature is evident from virtually the first frame of the film, where she informs her in-laws (superbly played by Isobel Elsom and Victoria Horne) that she won't be staying with them and instead will use what little money she has to forge her own life, which then segues to her finding and leasing Gull Cottage, despite rumors that it's haunted. Again Lucy's fortitude is apparent when she more or less demands that the ghost show itself after some creepy poltergeist activity. That leads to the magical first appearance of Captain Gregg, who seems to materialize out of the shadows of Gull Cottage's country kitchen.

An improbable romance of sorts begins blossoming, with Gregg's rough edges slowly being smoothed out by Lucy and Lucy in turn learning that she can let her guard down - if only a little - especially after Gregg offers her a way to make her own living, by dictating his memoirs to her which she turns into a runaway bestseller. The Ghost and Mrs. Muir deals with these issues in an often incredibly tender way, depicting two very strong, determined characters coming to terms with one of the oddest relationships in the annals of film. Philip Dunne's screenplay is surprisingly effective, dealing with a number of poignant plot points with wonderful understatement, none more so than when George Sanders enters the film as Miles Fairley, an obsequious author with eyes for Lucy. Gregg has to decide to withdraw what by then are his very obvious affections, but Lucy, who has been magically convinced that Gregg was nothing but a dream (by Gregg himself), finds out that Fairley is not all that he claims to be (or perhaps more accurately, is more than he claims to be).

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir provided career highs for both Tierney and Harrison, though perhaps surprisingly, neither was nominated for an Academy Award for their efforts (the film's sole Oscar nomination was for Charles Lang's cinematography, something that's even more shocking when one considers the fact that this film features what is generally considered to be one of Bernard Herrmann's greatest scores). The film came rather early in Joseph L. Mankiewicz's filmography as a director, but already Mankiewicz shows himself to be an effortless master in crafting an almost palpable mood, as well as firmly guiding performances - in this instance in a decidedly whimsical formulation - into a cohesive, emotionally touching experience.

The story takes at least a couple of unexpected turns, first with Gregg's self-chosen exile back into whatever realm from whence he had come, and then, much later, with an incredibly beautiful denouement which brings a whole new (opposite and ironic) meaning to that old adage till death do us part. The Ghost and Mrs. Muir is certainly one of the most unusual, and just as certainly one of the most heartfelt, love stories in the annals of film.

If you've never seen The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, you're in for one of the prime treats of your film experience. Even if the thought of muddling through a romance between a ghost and a headstrong widow gives you the shivers, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir will win you over with its deft mix of humor, heart and chutzpah. The film features pitch perfect performances by Tierney and Harrison, along with great supporting turns by George Sanders and a handful of fantastic character actors (including a tot-sized Natalie Wood in what is a glorified cameo as Lucy's young daughter). Brilliantly written by Philip Dunne (who never beats the audience over the head with either whimsy or pathos), and effortlessly directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, the film is incredibly touching and heartfelt. The Blu-ray disc includes excellent video and audio and superb commentaries. [Kauffman’s rating: Highly recommended]

Labels: comedy, drama, fantasy, mystery, romance, thriller



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