Back Street (1941)

a moment. and its significance. love. and its force who change everything. and the need to respect the rules. one of the films who gives more than the flavor of old fashion cinema. but good performances, seductive - dramatic story, the bitter perspective about chance, choices and sacrifice, the opportunity to come back to a broken dream and the moral lesson who remains the perfect end. a love story who becomes game of memories. at the first sigh, this is all. but only the top of the iceberg. because Charles Boyer seems be perfect as the man looking for the true love. and he has the great gift to be part of beautiful cast who gives to story brilliance and profound roots.

"This film (based on a Fanny Hurst best seller) is way out of date in the modern age. No self-respecting woman would be so willing to sacrifice her career for the prospect of being a millionaire's kept woman. No man, seriously in love with any woman, would put them through such a demeaning situation (they would consider divorce first of all, then remarriage). But there was supposed to be a sense of self-sacrifice by the heroine (Margaret Sullivan) that transcended the entire story."The point is, this film isn't set in the modern age. There's no sense judging this or any other movie set in another era by today's standards. At the time this story took place, divorce wasn't common. In fact, it was still considered scandalous. Many women put up with unhappy, even abusive marriages, rather than incur the wrath of society that a divorce would have brought upon them. Also, regardless of what her career prospects may have been, a man's career always took precedence. There's no way that he would have sacrificed his family and his career in order to divorce his wife and marry his mistress. There's no way she would have asked him to. This was made very clear in a conversation that took place between them. When you watch a movie set in another time you need to keep in mind that the rules that governed society are most likely far different than the ones we have today. You need to judge it by those rules or not at all.

This is my favorite movie of all times. It makes me cry, laugh, and hope. Rae makes your heart break for her. I never stop hoping that the ending will change. I know thats silly but...hey its a movie! Every woman should see this film if she is considering having an affair with a married man! I love all the versions but this is the best one! The ending just floors me each time I watch it.

God, this film is the queen of tearjerkers ! I have watched it countless numbers of times, and I always hope that the end will change, that brass band music playing while the steamboat wends its way down the river, with Margaret Sullavan not having been able to reach the jetty in time to catch it together with Charles Boyer, is just too much for me ! Although the story appears unbelievable, that's exactly what makes its charm ! Nowadays, the cinema is too crude and holier-than-thou to be able to make such a beautiful love story as this. Political correctness has won the battle over true feelings and emotions and has destroyed them !The theme music to this film is lovely and sad, tears are guaranteed, that is, of course, if you manage to find it on CD ( which you cannot ! ) Apparently there are other versions of this story but I would not even consider to watch them as this version with Charles Boyer and Margaret Sullivan is so beautiful and full of finesse.This film will bring tears to your eyes, even if you don't agree with infidelity. The acting is excellent and one cannot help but be moved by the lady who is desperately seeking happiness with the man she should have married but was prevented from doing so by a cruel twist of fate.