The Swan (1956)

The Swan is a magnificently beautiful film in every way--sets, costumes, dancing and music, dialogue, and the actors. Of course Grace Kelly is noted for her blonde regal beauty. Louis Jourdan is the most gorgeous man to ever grace film. The two together, Grace and Louis, are almost too much to watch. They are stunning together.Their characters, Princess Alexandra and Dr. Nicholas Agi, are just as lovely to watch. From the beginning, Dr. Agi's love for the Princess is clearly evident, and as her attraction to him develops, the audience hopes for the romance to culminate in a romantic Royal Wedding. Alas, that does not happen. Alexandra cannot bring herself to follow her heart and to succumb to love for Nicholas. Instead, after the most enchanting waltz, he realizes the truth and prepares to depart the palace the following morning. Does she merely pity him, as he claims, or does she love him but reject him because he is a tutor and not of royal birth? Or is it that Nicholas is Alexandra's first romance and she realizes it will never last? For whatever reason, Nicholas rides out of her life, leaving her heartbroken yet awaiting future happiness.It takes Alexandra's uncle, the Father Carl Hyacinth (Brian Aherne), to provide the insights and truths that guide Alexandra into letting Nicholas go. Carl realizes his niece's inexperienced youth, and assures her that true love will find her in due course. Of course, we are left at the end to wonder of that comes in the form of the (forced) marriage to her cousin Prince Albert (Alec Guinness). We must each answer that question for ourselves.

Molnar's play "The Swan" was dug up as a vehicle for Grace Kelly in the last year or two of her brief Hollywood career. She's teamed here with the always skillful Alec Guinness and Louis Jourdain, who could get by on his handsome looks alone but is equally fine in his role.The premise of the film is clever: A plot to snag a prince into marriage goes awry, and the story then hinges on which of two men--royalty or commoner--will win the hand of the innocent but gradually awakening "swan." One of the problems I had with the film is that it begins with a lot of comedy and then turns, rather abruptly, into something, if not darker, then decidedly more serious. The ending comes rather suddenly, and neither genre--comedy or drama--quite hits the mark to render the film satisfactory, let alone memorable.Of the three major players, Grace Kelly is the least effective, doing her frequent "upper class" act, complete with irritating voice mannerisms. Here, I suppose, it's at least appropriate, and fans of Kelly won't be disappointed. Jessie Royce Landis, Estelle Winwood, and Brian Aherne are fine; Agnes Moorehead arrives like gangbusters late in the film and injects some broad comedy when that aspect of the story has already passed. The film is beautifully shot, great to look at, with lavish sets and costumes. Just wish the director or writer or ? had figured out what they wanted the film to be. The downbeat ending doesn't work here.

Boring, ridiculous, despicable, annoying.I guess I'm stupid.I don't understand this film.Yeah yeah, duty over desire, but that does not even apply, she doesn't have to marry him??!! The prince surely doesn't seem in love with her, he needs a queen, and towards the end he seems to take pity on her, who turned from a plank to a teenager in love (very unconvincingly). Maybe that what he's supposed to be? Her rescuer?The family schemes to get the prince, so the professor becomes a token, despicably so. Then his advances soften her, but she wants to be a queen, she's so sorry, can he forgive her. No, he says. He gets all angry with everybody and holds socialist speeches, which are somehow connected with his admiration for Napoleon (lol!). She likes that for some reason, or his hurt pride, or whatever. So now she's in love, with a vengeance. I can actually accept that, putting aside the improbability of its sudden appearance. The way she's in love is believable. Then the prince insults the professor, he wants to retort, she stops him with a kiss - that ends it for him---huh??? Says she kissed him out of pity, like she would kiss a dog - huh??? Well I love my dogs! With passion!:-)So then he leaves and everybody manipulates her thoughts and so she is a swan again, who actually are rather aggressive animals on land, while I have found geese to be much gentler! I thought the ending was tragic. Nothing funny or romantic in it. And just for her I say that, as I don't understand the professor beyond the kiss. And I don't care. I guess he just didn't want to bother with her fickleness, or a kiss was all he wanted... You know, I like Alec Guiness, but even the uncle is more dashing than him with his moustache-twirling and his padded chest (or so it looked - ridiculous!) - shudder.All hail to the aunt!So, first hour boredom extraordinaire, then a little one-sided romance and a lot of overacted drama about it, very confusing, at the end back to the ice swan - great. Fantastic. Call that entertainment?But, as I mentioned, I just didn't get it.Just my two cents.

With rare exceptions (i.e., 'The Age of Innocence' and 'The Painted Veil,' among a few), too many contemporary movies set in earlier (from Elizabethan to Oscar Wildean) times miss out from a distinct failure to capture apparent period authenticity in manner or speech, be it: 'A Perfect Husband;' 'The Importance of Being Earnest'; 'Moulin Rouge;' 'The Other Boleyn Girl;' etc.Not so here.Every moment and character in director Charles Vidor's 'The Swan' (with the possible exception of usually adept Agnes Moorehead) takes one to an aristocratic pre-WW1 middle-Europe - at least, in Ferenc Molnar's stage conceit from 1922.Fortunate enough to have purchased the laser-disc widescreen issue in the mid-1990s, continue to enjoy every telling exchange among the principals in the exploration of the values of a long by-gone era, politically dated as they might be - which intent might have been the author's, whether Mr. Molnar's or screenwriter John Dighton's. Not for nothing does the introductory scene convey the off-handed delivery of bread from the local baker.Mr. Guinness is wrong in age as the heir to the throne (after all, 'Kwai;' 'Tunes of Glory,' and 'The Horse's Mouth,' were only a few years away), but acquits himself fairly well, altogether.Ms. Kelly was slightly past taking on roles of ingénues, but does herself proud in coming across as the well-bred princess but unsophisticated woman in matters of the heart; brought up as she has been in obedient fashion towards her elders, her lack of experience makes feasible her deception towards the initially indifferent Prince Albert, as it certainly does her surprise of the unintentional emotional hurt of Professor Agi (Louis Jourdan), the man whom she makes the unwitting instrument of the deceit.Jourdan, as a matter of fact, is in best form possible, convincing as he lets down his long-held reserve towards Alexandra and, more importantly for the piece, is assured in the English language, better so than in other performances.SPOILER: Certain wonderful moments can best be experienced on-screen, particularly during the moment of truth between Alexandra and Professor Agi, as: Alexandra (to Agi): "Don't come any closer Nicholas...I have never seen a man in love...(with sudden awareness) and he happens to be in love with me!" Would not dare spoil any other such quote, such as when Uncle Carl (Brian Aherne), standing near the young lovers, wisely observes that the emotion that they share may never again be as deep or as true, but that nevertheless, it is perhaps already fleeting.Restoration of 'The Swan' in DVD form is imperative. Leave it to younger audiences to sort out its relevance.