This is as 6/10 as a film can get. I have tried to grade on a curb in all my reviews, with more of a median average of 5 than a mean average, and this is one easy to grade on such a scale.
This film is an old fashioned sort, but that doesn't matter. If the characters are believable for their time, then they are believable for their time. Are they believable for their time? Somewhat.
It's a melodramatic story of an elite family in France, and a lady tutor hired for their children, who becomes an object of scandal in a romantic triangle.
One unmistakable aspect strikes out at the viewer, no doubt deliberately, is that the jealous wife is the beauty queen, and the "other woman" is much the plain Jane in comparison.
This is important, because it is important to show that the feelings the husband has for the tutor isn't based on physical attraction, but based on compassion and understanding. The film does a good job of showing restrained emotions, and gentleness. There are some great images and scenes.
The wife lacks all gentleness, and is practically a demonic figure throughout. She is described as mentally ill, but her physical beauty makes her mentally ill jealousy over the plain tutor absurd in itself. Instead, it is obvious that the other characters make allowances for her, much as they and the children suffer, but she is totally evil.
The film shows people reaching a breaking point. It also does a good job of introducing a few characters and bringing them back at key moments. As in most good films, it is the other characters outside of the romantic triangle that make this a worthy effort.
There is a lot going for this film. Don't let the 6/10 fool you. That is an above average rating.
One must first buy into the importance of scandal in older societies. People today will have a hard time understanding why it was a way of life. Some scenes with the children are overly sentimental, but this was the design. I didn't care for the design, but I understand it, and full well understand how many will think of this as a classic. Likewise, I can understand the detractors who are turned off by the serendipity and overkill.
I believe the worth of this movie is somewhere in between, and falls into the 4-8 category. While most of the characters are well done, the one dimensional evil of the centerfold wife is out of place, and bespeaks a little too much Hollywood.
The passing grade is that I, who probably as much an attention deficit disorder as one can find, was able to sit through the entire film without squirming. It flowed well, and passed the "watchability" test.
I was content with the final outcome with the lady's personal life, but the school scenes with the multitude of young women was way over the top and not a bit convincing. Still, one understands why the director had to compress this into some order, but it was just way too obviously contrived.
One can call that a nitpick, and it is true that if a work is great enough, one can accept some trifling faults. For my tastes, the strength of the entire work just wasn't strong enough to justify the weakness. Again, I understand those who disagree. If you indeed think the story line is classic, then the minor problems should not bother you one bit.
This film is an old fashioned sort, but that doesn't matter. If the characters are believable for their time, then they are believable for their time. Are they believable for their time? Somewhat.
It's a melodramatic story of an elite family in France, and a lady tutor hired for their children, who becomes an object of scandal in a romantic triangle.
One unmistakable aspect strikes out at the viewer, no doubt deliberately, is that the jealous wife is the beauty queen, and the "other woman" is much the plain Jane in comparison.
This is important, because it is important to show that the feelings the husband has for the tutor isn't based on physical attraction, but based on compassion and understanding. The film does a good job of showing restrained emotions, and gentleness. There are some great images and scenes.
The wife lacks all gentleness, and is practically a demonic figure throughout. She is described as mentally ill, but her physical beauty makes her mentally ill jealousy over the plain tutor absurd in itself. Instead, it is obvious that the other characters make allowances for her, much as they and the children suffer, but she is totally evil.
The film shows people reaching a breaking point. It also does a good job of introducing a few characters and bringing them back at key moments. As in most good films, it is the other characters outside of the romantic triangle that make this a worthy effort.
There is a lot going for this film. Don't let the 6/10 fool you. That is an above average rating.
One must first buy into the importance of scandal in older societies. People today will have a hard time understanding why it was a way of life. Some scenes with the children are overly sentimental, but this was the design. I didn't care for the design, but I understand it, and full well understand how many will think of this as a classic. Likewise, I can understand the detractors who are turned off by the serendipity and overkill.
I believe the worth of this movie is somewhere in between, and falls into the 4-8 category. While most of the characters are well done, the one dimensional evil of the centerfold wife is out of place, and bespeaks a little too much Hollywood.
The passing grade is that I, who probably as much an attention deficit disorder as one can find, was able to sit through the entire film without squirming. It flowed well, and passed the "watchability" test.
I was content with the final outcome with the lady's personal life, but the school scenes with the multitude of young women was way over the top and not a bit convincing. Still, one understands why the director had to compress this into some order, but it was just way too obviously contrived.
One can call that a nitpick, and it is true that if a work is great enough, one can accept some trifling faults. For my tastes, the strength of the entire work just wasn't strong enough to justify the weakness. Again, I understand those who disagree. If you indeed think the story line is classic, then the minor problems should not bother you one bit.