What's absorbing about this film is what's not said, not seen, and not dwelled on. The other reviewers pretty much have the movie nailed, but no one seems interested in exploring to their logical ends the situations presented here.
Like the fact that the beautiful young woman the soldier guy thought he was writing to during the war and was coming home to marry was actually an old woman, and a demented one at that. When soldier guy finds this out it's like, "whatever." He apparently doesn't find disturbing the implications of his having been fooled. We however are left to go "yuck" and feel a sort of sympathy for the woman as a victim of ageism. After all, if soldier guy "loved her mind" why reject her just because she's old (and demented)?
And what does smart doctor lady think of soldier guy, her soon- to- be husband, who is so confused and easily fooled?
And then think about the whole bizarre existence of the old woman who not only created a fantasy daughter and had "her" "portrait" painted, but regularly has worship sessions in front of the painting in the cult of her nonexistent daughter--with her weak- willed loyal companion going along.
Kinda makes you wonder how often in our own way we "regular folks" create fantasy versions of people and totally misread relationships.
Paging Dr. Freud!
Like the fact that the beautiful young woman the soldier guy thought he was writing to during the war and was coming home to marry was actually an old woman, and a demented one at that. When soldier guy finds this out it's like, "whatever." He apparently doesn't find disturbing the implications of his having been fooled. We however are left to go "yuck" and feel a sort of sympathy for the woman as a victim of ageism. After all, if soldier guy "loved her mind" why reject her just because she's old (and demented)?
And what does smart doctor lady think of soldier guy, her soon- to- be husband, who is so confused and easily fooled?
And then think about the whole bizarre existence of the old woman who not only created a fantasy daughter and had "her" "portrait" painted, but regularly has worship sessions in front of the painting in the cult of her nonexistent daughter--with her weak- willed loyal companion going along.
Kinda makes you wonder how often in our own way we "regular folks" create fantasy versions of people and totally misread relationships.
Paging Dr. Freud!