Love Letters

William Dieterle – 1945 – USA

The first of a handful of films that featured Joseph Cotten as a stoic romantic smitten by an ethereal Jennifer Jones who seems caught between worlds; [the others being Dieterle’s Portrait of Jennie (1948) and Duel in the Sun (1946), which Dieterle partially directed].  Jones was resented a bit because of her husband David O. Selznick foisting her on the industry, but she is extremely good in many roles that make effective use of her faraway gaze and fragile voice.  While in the army overseas, Singleton's (Jones) insensitive boyfriend has his honeydripping pal Allen (Cotten) write his letters for him, knowing the kind of syrupy drivel Singleton wants to hear.  When they later marry, naturally, Singleton has a hard time reconciling her man’s brutish manner with the letters she holds so dear.  Meanwhile, Allen has fallen in love with Singleton via her letters too, but considers her a tragically unobtainable ideal.  Things take a strange turn, however, when the traumatized Singleton suffers a breakdown.  Considered a little sentimental and insubstantial at the time, Love Letters has aged well and gained many devout fans over the years, thanks primarily to the dreamlike atmosphere that keeps it from tipping over into soap territory.