Indiscretion of an American Wife

Rating:
Summary: brilliant, mesmerizing piece
Review: Indiscretion takes place in one locale only, Rome's main train terminal. It chronicles the final moments of an ill-fated tryst between an Italian man (Montgomery Clift) and an American housewife (Jennifer Jones). But do not be fooled by the simplicity of this synopsis. Indiscretion is a multi-layered, surrealist script which, by focusing on the love affair between two people, takes a very courageous, analytical look at the clockwork behind the man's actions and the realities and demands of the society which formulates and steers those actions. In this story, it explains how this clockwork dictates and rules our lives, for better or worse. This analyzation is non-judgemental, and thankfully so.

Heavily targeted here are religion (monks and clerics are always nearby, following scenes between the couple), mortality and the fleeting nature of life (sinister clocks tick away, leaving less and less time available to the lovers), social and political authority (the threatening and humiliating experience of being arrested by a foreign authority), the universal compassion of humanity (the sick passenger and the ripping up of the police charge), the institution and sanctity of marriage (the pictures of the woman's child, her nephew representing and reminding her of the importance of the family), among many others. They are presented here for one reason alone: to demonstrate the complexity of the human experience, and to quite brutally prove what type of influence the world around us has on making subjective decisions. The viewer, as a result, is apt to be asking themselves over and over, "What is she going to do? ... What is she going to do?" Like the recent German film Run Lola Run, we see the power and significance that the ramifications subjective decision-making holds.

Indiscretion is rare piece of cinema in that it analyzes and exposes without making moralistic critiques. How this film could have been made in the 1950s is something of a conundrum to me, though I imagine it has something to do with Truman Capote working on the script, Montgomery Clift's genius, and of course a very unique director!

To make this experience all the more interesting is the real-life drama which unfolded between the two lead actors in this film. In the film, Clift was the catalyst for the couple's love, desperately trying to turn the fate of his lover in his direction, ultimately failing. Off-screen, it was Jones who tried to do so, ultimately failing due to Clift's sexual orientation.

This film is a gem. If you're interested in films which unabashedly strip the human experience naked, this is for you. If you're looking for an feel-good, life-affirming Hollywood script stay clear.

Rating:
Summary: brilliant, mesmerizing piece
Review: Indiscretion takes place in one locale only, Rome's main train terminal. It chronicles the final moments of an ill-fated tryst between an Italian man (Montgomery Clift) and an American housewife (Jennifer Jones). But do not be fooled by the simplicity of this synopsis. Indiscretion is a multi-layered, surrealist script which, by focusing on the love affair between two people, takes a very courageous, analytical look at the clockwork behind the man's actions and the realities and demands of the society which formulates and steers those actions. In this story, it explains how this clockwork dictates and rules our lives, for better or worse. This analyzation is non-judgemental, and thankfully so.

Heavily targeted here are religion (monks and clerics are always nearby, following scenes between the couple), mortality and the fleeting nature of life (sinister clocks tick away, leaving less and less time available to the lovers), social and political authority (the threatening and humiliating experience of being arrested by a foreign authority), the universal compassion of humanity (the sick passenger and the ripping up of the police charge), the institution and sanctity of marriage (the pictures of the woman's child, her nephew representing and reminding her of the importance of the family), among many others. They are presented here for one reason alone: to demonstrate the complexity of the human experience, and to quite brutally prove what type of influence the world around us has on making subjective decisions. The viewer, as a result, is apt to be asking themselves over and over, "What is she going to do? ... What is she going to do?" Like the recent German film Run Lola Run, we see the power and significance that the ramifications subjective decision-making holds.

Indiscretion is rare piece of cinema in that it analyzes and exposes without making moralistic critiques. How this film could have been made in the 1950s is something of a conundrum to me, though I imagine it has something to do with Truman Capote working on the script, Montgomery Clift's genius, and of course a very unique director!

To make this experience all the more interesting is the real-life drama which unfolded between the two lead actors in this film. In the film, Clift was the catalyst for the couple's love, desperately trying to turn the fate of his lover in his direction, ultimately failing. Off-screen, it was Jones who tried to do so, ultimately failing due to Clift's sexual orientation.

This film is a gem. If you're interested in films which unabashedly strip the human experience naked, this is for you. If you're looking for an feel-good, life-affirming Hollywood script stay clear.

Rating:
Summary: MAGIC IT'S MAGIC
Review: It seems that the deities who preside over the fate of the movie lovers have heard my prayer of last year.

Criterion has just announced the release of INDISCRETION OF AN AMERICAN WIFE in its catalogue for August 2003. The studio will present both versions of the movie. So be patient and avoid the Roan Group DVD until then.

A DVD zone masterpiece.

Rating:
Summary: Mature drama with great performances
Review: The running time on this film is only 63 minutes which is really quite enough time considering that it is basically plotless and is mainly a one hour farewell between an American housewife and an Italian man she is having an affair with. You will really not notice the plot weaknesses, however, because of the intense performances from the stars and the wide array of emotions this film brings forth. Jennifer Jones, although really too sophisticated and regal for a Philadelphia housewife, is quite good here and gives the best performance in the film. An early scene where she sits in the train caressing a dress that she has just bought for her daughter is simply a marvel - we can read everything in her face and we can easily see how her thoughts drift from her daughter to her lover. Montgomery Clift is gorgeous beyond belief here (this was a few years before the devastating car accident which scarred his face) and his acting is okay except he starts out with an Italian accent which totally disappears halfway into the film. The film was photographed at Rome's new (at the time) Terminal Station and was filmed at night to avoid crowds and day to day business in the immense station. Jennifer Jones' smart suit was designed by Christian Dior, who had just appeared on the fashion scene. The Roan Group dvd is excellent and presents a sharp image that is free of nicks and scratches. Some added features would have been nice but all we get here is a cast and crew summary and a brief page about the making of the film.

Rating:
Summary: brilliant movie
Review: unfortuanatly the american version of this movie is consiserably shoter than the european version, this movie is wonderful.montgomery clift is truly a artist at work and de sicas direction is a remarkle example of italian neo realism. it was filmed at night at the famous train station in rome, and involves montgomery clift playing a half italian half american professor and jennifer jonesas a american housewife.they must decide their fate before her train arrives.this film is filled with religious imagery.it is a very under rated under seen movie

Rating:
Summary: THE SELZNICK HOLLYWOODSAW CUT MASSACRE
Review: Well, firstly I think people should be aware that the european version of Vittorio de Sica's INDISCRETION OF AN AMERICAN WIFE is 120 minutes long and that the U.S. release presented here by The Roan Group lasts...63 minutes. The hour long neo-realistic scenes shot by the italian director had been cut by a David Selznick fearing that the american audience could be shocked by the 1953 italian reality. The Dream Factory couldn't accept a movie that would have awakened the nice sleepers of America.

So, what's left of the movie is watchable, nothing more. Jennifer and Montgomery spend a lot of time running through Rome Main Station and cruise a few symbolical figures that have lost all their impact.

So let's hope that the european version will appear soon in the Criterion catalogue. Just production notes as bonus feature. No more than average sound and images.

A DVD for the garbage can.

Rating:
Summary: A flawed Masterpiece
Review: When I first saw this film I was captured by the grainy Black and white realism and surrealism of the cinematography. I found myself disappearing in a past life somewhere in Italy in a train station and feeling like a fly on the wall as these two people were going throughout the different changes that emotions and time restraint love can cause. I love this movie because of that. To me that is what a film should do. Displace you. Unfortunately as most will observe something is missing. Namely part of the film. For some reason or another censors and others who felt the film was too long. Ridiculous as it is. Made many cuts and have left us with just a part of something that may have been great. Some people criticize Jennifer Jones as a bit too overacting but some people are very edgy in moments of change and despair. Montgomery Clift is so brilliant that it's hard to not see the differences in acting styles between him and Jennifer and that may make some think that there is no chemistry between the leads but I don't agree. Anyone who has researched about the making of this film should know that Jennifer Jones was very much in love with Montgomery Clift and completely devastated when she found out about his sexual orientation. This only adds to the emotional background for the story and propels the film even further in my opinion. Victorio De Sica did a masterful job in directing everything from background players to the many other actors who had little parts here and there to add color to the story. One day maybe we will see a restored version of this film and see Victorio's masterpiece as it should have been presented.

Rating:
Summary: A flawed Masterpiece
Review: When I first saw this film I was captured by the grainy Black and white realism and surrealism of the cinematography. I found myself disappearing in a past life somewhere in Italy in a train station and feeling like a fly on the wall as these two people were going throughout the different changes that emotions and time restraint love can cause. I love this movie because of that. To me that is what a film should do. Displace you. Unfortunately as most will observe something is missing. Namely part of the film. For some reason or another censors and others who felt the film was too long. Ridiculous as it is. Made many cuts and have left us with just a part of something that may have been great. Some people criticize Jennifer Jones as a bit too overacting but some people are very edgy in moments of change and despair. Montgomery Clift is so brilliant that it's hard to not see the differences in acting styles between him and Jennifer and that may make some think that there is no chemistry between the leads but I don't agree. Anyone who has researched about the making of this film should know that Jennifer Jones was very much in love with Montgomery Clift and completely devastated when she found out about his sexual orientation. This only adds to the emotional background for the story and propels the film even further in my opinion. Victorio De Sica did a masterful job in directing everything from background players to the many other actors who had little parts here and there to add color to the story. One day maybe we will see a restored version of this film and see Victorio's masterpiece as it should have been presented.