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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