Recalling Frank Borzage's movies in which Margaret Sullavan was often cast as the unfortunate heroine ("three comrades" "moral storm" ,classics all); it was her final film.
Not unlike "dark victory " in which Bette Davis was the last to know about her terminally-ill condition (memorable scene of the menu) ,from the beginning the doctor reveals her patient that she only has a few months to live ,but she insists her husband be unaware of her condition;hence the doctor's beautiful lines to Wendell Corey :" she has been playing her role for five months ,now,it's up to you" .
The movie is a hymn to the family and the gypsy's predictions are ,in their way ,quite true . There are no sad songs ,no self-pity, no words about the awful truth ,but sometimes a sentence almost gives her away (she cannot complete a sentence after the word "before") and some lines remind her of her condition (the policeman: "you have to read the road signs if you want to live long".)Let's also mention the New Year 's celebration , when Sullavan watches the clock just before it strikes twelve ,and her last year ....
The ending is treated with a great modesty: a close shot of a black phone, then Viveca Lindfords listens to the call , returns to the piano where she joins the little girl (Nathalie Wood) to play a tune ; Polly has this admirable word "smile" .
Not unlike "dark victory " in which Bette Davis was the last to know about her terminally-ill condition (memorable scene of the menu) ,from the beginning the doctor reveals her patient that she only has a few months to live ,but she insists her husband be unaware of her condition;hence the doctor's beautiful lines to Wendell Corey :" she has been playing her role for five months ,now,it's up to you" .
The movie is a hymn to the family and the gypsy's predictions are ,in their way ,quite true . There are no sad songs ,no self-pity, no words about the awful truth ,but sometimes a sentence almost gives her away (she cannot complete a sentence after the word "before") and some lines remind her of her condition (the policeman: "you have to read the road signs if you want to live long".)Let's also mention the New Year 's celebration , when Sullavan watches the clock just before it strikes twelve ,and her last year ....
The ending is treated with a great modesty: a close shot of a black phone, then Viveca Lindfords listens to the call , returns to the piano where she joins the little girl (Nathalie Wood) to play a tune ; Polly has this admirable word "smile" .