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Letter from an Unknown Woman
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Letter from an Unknown Woman

1948
Romance
Drama
1h 27m
In Vienna, about 1900, a dashing man arrives at his flat, instructing his manservant that he will leave before morning: the man is Stefan Brand... (imdb)
Directed by:
Max Ophüls Max Ophüls
Written by:
Howard Koch Stefan Zweig Stefan Zweig
+1 more
Starring:
Joan Fontaine Joan Fontaine Louis Jourdan Louis Jourdan Mady Christians Marcel Journet Art Smith Art Smith Carol Yorke
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Genres:
Romance, Drama
Country:
USA
Language:
English
imdb More information at IMDb
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Letter from an Unknown Woman

1948
Romance
Drama
1h 27m
Your probable score
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer
Avg Percentile 73.51% from 722 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

(722)
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suture_selfSuture Self
Rated 27 Jan 2012
3
24th
Not even Ophuls' camerawork or Franz Liszt's Un Suspiro (one of my favorite piano pieces -- damn you, Ophuls) can save this for me. Lisa's longing is submissive and pathetic and if you take away Stefan's piano abilities he's just a womanizer with a severe case of amnesia. I couldn't be more annoyed with these people.
Rated 27 Jan 2012
peaceanarchyPeaceAnarchy
Rated 18 Apr 2008
90
94th
A pitch perfect tragic romance. Fontaine is amazing, and gorgeous, as the lead, not just in her line delivery but in all of her non verbal expressions of love, happiness, awe, and disappointment. The beautifully composed shots complement the different moods throughout the film and Ophuls knows just when to move the camera and when to let it linger.
Rated 18 Apr 2008
kasperlKasperL
Rated 15 Jun 2012
95
99th
"The course of our lives can be changed by such little things. So many passing by, each intent on his own problems. So many faces that one might easily have been lost. I know now that nothing happens by chance. Every moment is measured; every step is counted." Ophüls' profoundly tragic film is beautifully constructed, perfect even. The scene where Lisa realizes the truth is as magnificent as it is cruel. There are precious few films in which I wouldn't change a single shot. This is one of them.
Rated 15 Jun 2012
tonytheponyTonythePony
Rated 22 Jan 2009
85
84th
Tragedy of the utter devotion of youthful romance bestowed on the unworthy and unaware. Fontaine's expressions of longing and coy evasion are a joy, as is watching her progression from doe-eyed youth to the epitome of elegance and grace.
Rated 22 Jan 2009
hehejajahehejaja
Rated 27 Apr 2008
80
76th
Tender at heart, delicate in its form. Joan Fontaine's facial expressions tell us far more than thousand words... In an elegant and lyrical way, Ophüls tell us that life is endlessly beautiful, painful and maddening all at once.
Rated 27 Apr 2008
paulofilmopaulofilmo
Rated 18 Jan 2017
68
38th
kumps will think me a philistine, but it's all aesthetic, and i come away thinking i would rather have listened to some music or rewatched Brief Encounter. /shrugsnotgivingafuckingly
Rated 18 Jan 2017
fredericg54frederic_g54
Rated 05 Apr 2010
9
90th
Matching Tarkovsky in many ways, Ophuls recognizes the fundamental role of the camera, not just as an aesthetic feature but as storytelling instrument to help you establish both mood and atmosphere and depict a character's emotional journey. A film flowing with elegance and subtlety. I just love Ophüls' films.
Rated 05 Apr 2010
adamj1982adamj1982
Rated 12 Dec 2018
71
62nd
Irritating due to how great this should have been if not for a few baffling plot points.
Rated 12 Dec 2018
stainStain
Rated 02 Jun 2007
80
68th
Good tragic romance. Joan Fontaine is classy in a way that modern stars will never be
Rated 02 Jun 2007
alex_watkinsAlex Watkins
Rated 19 Jan 2012
4
70th
Nobody does elegant like Max Ophuls (or Opuls, according to the opening credits). He can convey everything necessary about a relationship with the simplest gestures, giving us a portrait of all-consuming romance that spans a lifetime in only 85 minutes. Joan Fontaine is heartbreaking in the "title" role, maturing from puppy love to dignified independence without her passion ever extinguishing. And it's overwhelmingly beautiful, of course, with gorgeous cinematography and production design.
Rated 19 Jan 2012
nathan_sNathan S
Rated 02 Nov 2018
4
74th
Joan Fontaine narrates in the opening: "I think everyone has two birthdays, the day of his physical birth and the beginning of his conscious life," which she intends and the viewer takes as the day a person falls in love. The platitude comes to a more resounding fruition when this ostensibly naive and weepy melodrama arrives at a late point of hard-earned clarity, rephrasing its earlier insinuations about fate, and subverting our trope-based expectations, into a sadder and tougher denouement.
Rated 02 Nov 2018
martintellerMartinTeller
Rated 04 Apr 2008
82
73rd
Expertly filmed with wonderful camera moves, evocative lighting, and beautiful sets. It was well-acted, and there were some very memorable moments. It comments elegantly on the harsh realities of romance. The score was very nice, too. That is to say: I liked it, quite a bit. On the whole, however, it just didn't strike me as a masterpiece and I'm left wondering why it has such a mighty reputation. Sure, it was tragic and lovely, but it certainly didn't dig deep into my soul or anything.
Rated 04 Apr 2008
henrikHenrik
Rated 05 Feb 2011
95
98th
The tragic love story above them all.
Rated 05 Feb 2011
nepetaNepeta
Rated 18 Jan 2013
90
90th
It's a wonderfully elegant film and very much appeals to my sensibilities (incredibly romantic and elegant tragedy, paying attention to transcience and chance, mixing the gooey, soft, sentimental innocence of earlier Hollywood stuff with a darker slightly more perhaps not worldweary but certainly worldwarey heart - all things I love). The way Ophuls uses the environment to pretty much change the aspect ratio for a shot is beautiful.
Rated 18 Jan 2013
billkerwinbillkerwin
Rated 14 Feb 2010
96
96th
A truly romantic work about the transformative power of love. Joan Fontaine has never been better, and Louis Jourdan gives is best performance.
Rated 14 Feb 2010
cat9mancat9man
Rated 19 Jul 2011
72
38th
A bad crush on a superficial guy - so what else is new?
Rated 19 Jul 2011
davidblastDavidBlast
Rated 08 Jun 2010
75
72nd
Cinematography as great as anything from that era. The story about a sick stalker, that won't let go of her playboy subject. When they finally date he complains that he hardly knows her. What's to know?! She's been spending every waken hour outside your fucking window! The "forever love" message is dated and quite frankly a little pathetic. Fontaine is brilliant and beautiful, but cannot save her shell of a character. This plus a few contrived incidents, makes the movie good, but never great.
Rated 08 Jun 2010
roujinroujin
Rated 28 Aug 2008
60
55th
Such elegance.
Rated 28 Aug 2008
waddayanutswaddayanuts
Rated 11 Nov 2010
90
97th
Who would have thought that a romantic melodrama could be so riveting? This is perhaps the ultimate proof that great direction can lift a film from mediocrity to awesomeness. For Ophüls' direction here is indeed flawless. The attention to detail in the mise en scène along with an incredible use of space make every composition as absorbing as the storyline itself. The spatial depth of this film makes it much more three-dimensional than most of those 3D films that is put out at the moment.
Rated 11 Nov 2010
lisa_iilisa-
Rated 03 Dec 2014
4
52nd
not unenjoyable, but this is a fundamentally silly story about a young women with a pathetic infatuation for some pianist dude. the sort of thing i can't possibly take seriously.
Rated 03 Dec 2014
caimancaiman
Rated 15 Mar 2013
94
97th
Words, at least mine, can't express how wonderful Joan Fontaine is in this film. She expresses her deeply felt longing so expertly and convincingly. Her body language, her glances, the way she instantly falls into her wonderful love struck trance when she's in Stefan's presence - this is one of the best performances I've ever seen. Aside from that, the story is engrossing and tragic, and the cinematography is elegant and gorgeous. This is one of the best films of the 1940s.
Rated 15 Mar 2013
moribunnyMoribunny
Rated 08 Mar 2007
75
84th
Good text, but as usual, Ophüls' virtuosic directing is better than the text and serves to elevate it.
Rated 08 Mar 2007
dean_franzDean Franz
Rated 21 May 2010
93
92nd
Completely transcends its melodramatic trappings to deliver perhaps the finest screen romance I've ever seen. Ophuls' mesmerizing cinematography swirls around the architecture and the protagonists, light as air. Walking a fine line between genuine tragedy and tearjerker, the film is aided immensely by the delicate beauty of Fontaine in her defining performance. This is is what all other romance films should aspire to.
Rated 21 May 2010
geohawkgeohawk
Rated 05 Jul 2010
60
15th
Excellently acted and directed, this is the sort of story that repulses me. In a world where Twilight can be interpreted as "feminist" than Joan Fontaine's character is absolutely empowered to throw her life away mooning over a callow pianist. Her revenge, an immaculately documented guilt trip, takes passive aggression to astonishing levels. Okay, I could be missing the point.
Rated 05 Jul 2010
bofbof
Rated 22 Jun 2013
78
77th
You have your regular casanova, the dashing seducer of naive women. And you have reality; that a character like that simply can't function in the long run, and neither can those who cling to him. The major drawback, for me, is that it's hard to relate to Fontaine's character's infatuation - but she sells it, and Jourdan's clueless beautiful idiot (for whom every woman, to quote M Bison, was just tuesday) matches her well.
Rated 22 Jun 2013
amadeusAmadeus
Rated 21 Nov 2012
73
71st
Lisa Lisa, Sad Lisa Lisa (stupid bitch).
Rated 21 Nov 2012
sellissellis
Rated 17 Jan 2020
90
88th
Perhaps lacking the payoff of all its components, what does payoff has poignancy despite the understated story. Fontaine is both dynamic and nuanced. I saw some Kieslowski thematically - the voyeuristic experience of loving someone. What is suggested at times to be metaphysics binding these two together is actually a vision of reality that romantic love has distorted into delusion. And the lingering question - would he have loved her if his memory had not failed him? - is (literally) haunting.
Rated 17 Jan 2020
theyshootpicTheyshootpic
Rated 17 Apr 2007
90
92nd
# 95
Rated 17 Apr 2007
walkearthwalkearth
Rated 13 Nov 2021
80
94th
2. Wow, what an absolutely gorgeous film! The story is enticing with Joan Fontaine's performance absolutely magnetic - she is so tender and innocent, her character bordering outright psychotic naiveté at parts. Louis Jourdan is excellent portraying a fundamentally broken but ultimately redeemable man. The tone, pace and atmosphere of the film are splendid and I was thoroughly drawn from beginning to end. Great storytelling and great melodrama.
Rated 13 Nov 2021
nobambanobamba
Rated 22 Apr 2019
85
92nd
Devotion...tragedy...unrequited love...youthful innocence and mature longing...all the ingredients are here. The narration is tight and the acting is on point. Too bad some heavy gut punches happen off-camera, such as the son dying or Fontaine dying. Fav scene: seeing Stefan again after his decline and the watcher realizing he still doesn't recognize her before she realizes it later at his house.
Rated 22 Apr 2019
bngpotentialBNGPotential
Rated 09 Oct 2012
10
3rd
Omigosh, so dumb.
Rated 09 Oct 2012
wetwillieswetwillies
Rated 10 Jan 2018
90
80th
Viewed August 20, 2016.
Rated 10 Jan 2018
theyshoot07theyshoot07
Rated 01 Mar 2008
96
93rd
# 74
Rated 01 Mar 2008
cosmicmonkeyCosmicMonkey
Rated 17 Jan 2019
85
86th
Despite having a near-Shakespearian level of tragedy, it's also one of the warmest and dreamiest films I've ever seen, with a 19th century Vienna that feels like a fairy tale I want to get lost in. One of the most European-feeling Classic Hollywood films, it's also unusually deep and thoughtful in its exploration of love and fate, with a wonderfully varied and nuanced performance by Joan Fontaine.
Rated 17 Jan 2019
theyshoot08theyshoot08
Rated 19 Dec 2008
96
92nd
77
Rated 19 Dec 2008
francogonzoFrancoGonzo
Rated 25 Feb 2016
19
99th
Star Rating: ★★★★★
Rated 25 Feb 2016
napolenbradynapolenbrady
Rated 12 Mar 2019
90
77th
90.00
Rated 12 Mar 2019
akatemossfanAKateMossFan
Rated 07 Nov 2023
100
98th
riverriversRiverRivers
Rated 22 Aug 2014
84
86th
Didn't love the first half of the film, but the second half was well worth the wait.
Rated 22 Aug 2014
puyaPuya
Rated 05 Oct 2009
50
23rd
i found myself saying bullshit in various parts of the movie!!
Rated 05 Oct 2009
chadisdangerchadisdanger
Rated 13 May 2009
90
95th
A tale of tragic romance told with the utmost elegance and cinematic confidence. Moving, well-acted and just plain gorgeous to look at.
Rated 13 May 2009
nathanbatesNathanBates
Rated 09 Feb 2023
80
78th
Best summarized by that line in the poem about the saddest words: "what might have been." It has a few weird plot points that don't make sense, but it's a wispy romantic ride throughout.
Rated 09 Feb 2023
hulothulot
Rated 29 Jan 2012
100
96th
watched: 2012, 2020
Rated 29 Jan 2012
driscarpindriscarpin
Rated 03 Jan 2007
99
98th
Carta de uma desconhecida estreava há 75 anos em Monte Carlo. Acho que até hoje não sei qual meu Ophuls favorito dentre tantas obras-primas no currículo, mas esse foi o primeiro que assisti na vida, numa madrugada da TV aberta dos anos 90, por isso tenho um carinho especial por ele porque desde o primeiro momento foi impressionante. Coleção Folha Grandes Diretores no Cinema.
Rated 03 Jan 2007
lineupherelineuphere
Rated 01 Aug 2011
93
98th
Fontaine can sort of do no wrong.
Rated 01 Aug 2011
oskarhuoskarhu
Rated 09 Nov 2014
81
78th
Despite some irritating irrationalities and holes in the plot, it worked as a romantic drama reasonably well. Performances were good and stylistically its execution was on point.
Rated 09 Nov 2014
mandymandy
Rated 01 Aug 2011
7
73rd
Great afternoon viewing.
Rated 01 Aug 2011
mrcinemaMr.Cinema
Rated 06 Jul 2021
65
67th
Lovely Avant-Garde Love Story!!!
Rated 06 Jul 2021
doyler29doyler29
Rated 14 Aug 2022
80
68th
In the wrong hands, this film would be maudlin and possibly even creepy, but Ophüls imbues it with a delicate elegance and visual sweep. It's an absolutely gorgeous film.
Rated 14 Aug 2022
rottentRottenT
Rated 21 Mar 2018
100
98th
Golden Age Hollywood romance doesn't get much better than Letter From an Unknown Woman, a powerful tale of doomed love.
Rated 21 Mar 2018
theyshoot10theyshoot10
Rated 13 Jan 2010
96
92nd
82
Rated 13 Jan 2010
shockularSHOCKULAR
Rated 14 Nov 2022
85
85th
A nearly perfect tragic romance that flows perfectly and doesn't have a single wasted shot. Ophuls' movies do little things so well--the way Fontaine knocks on Jourdan's door, etc. Another reviewer calls it elegant, which is a perfect word for it. The use of the camera is amazing. Fontaine is great. I think those who think this is about a straight love story are missing the point. I think it's a story of self-destructive love. The directing lifts it immensely.
Rated 14 Nov 2022
schnofelschnofel
Rated 27 Jul 2014
71
76th
A very earnest and well done bit of melodramatic nonsense that must have been en vogue at the turn of the century. Still, what an extraordinary beautiful and elegant picture it is - you might get lost in the romance of the images alone.
Rated 27 Jul 2014
punqPUNQ
Rated 01 Oct 2021
60
89th
Joan Fontaine's favorite movie, but not my favorite of Joan Fontaine's. That's the thing with Max Ophüls's films. I sometimes don't get the beauty of them. Letter from an Unknown Woman (19489 is a good one, but I don't really see anything special about it. Not where it's on a bunch of "Must see" lists.
Rated 01 Oct 2021
lilarcorLilarcor
Rated 25 Aug 2013
89
93rd
Expertly shot and incredibly romantic, however I have some issue with Joan Fontaine's character falling that completely for the man even almost before she has met him.
Rated 25 Aug 2013
theyshoot11theyshoot11
Rated 30 Nov 2011
95
90th
#91
Rated 30 Nov 2011
zipsterZipster
Rated 12 Aug 2014
80
50th
There are few characters in film history who so thoroughly exemplify the thrust of melodrama. This film, consequently, appears to stem its genre less from formula than from Lisa's actual core, hazarded, not unlike that of the unfortunate leading ladies of opera, on curtains that rise and fall, until they don't rise anymore.
Rated 12 Aug 2014

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