A melodramatic farce in three rather noticeable acts (3 sequential dilemmas). I found this movie to get bogged down early in French stereotypes (The characters are quasi-imbeciles) and histrionics. Leslie Caron is attractive. Horst Buchholz is attractive. If either of them were ugly, they might have a chance of dismissing their petty concerns. When the characters are parsing emotional entanglements, they're articulate. Then, when comic relief is needed they become silly bumpkins. Later still it veers into "children's film" territory.
The location photography around the Marseille harbor is very nice here. And Jack Cardiff does a great job at hiding when they're not on location. As far as melodrama goes, it's OK. It offers a quaint fantasy location, pretty faces and an over-the-top love story. I suppose melodrama, and the trifling domestic concerns I'm supposed to get all worked up over, just aren't nourishing enough. This movie could never be more than a way to pass the time, for me.
The location photography around the Marseille harbor is very nice here. And Jack Cardiff does a great job at hiding when they're not on location. As far as melodrama goes, it's OK. It offers a quaint fantasy location, pretty faces and an over-the-top love story. I suppose melodrama, and the trifling domestic concerns I'm supposed to get all worked up over, just aren't nourishing enough. This movie could never be more than a way to pass the time, for me.