Saraband for Dead Lovers

Plot synopsis:
The film is structured around ten acts with a prologue and epilogue.
It opens with the camera on Marianne standing by a table covered with photographs. It is a well-lit room, and she addresses the viewer. She picks one picture up after another; they are in no particular order, being just heaped all over the table. Some make her smile, or elicit a comment or a sigh. But then she picks up a photograph of her husband, prompting her to reminisce about how they had been more or less happy, and how they'd broken up. She goes on to recall how his second marriage failed, while she was already married to a second husband herself, and then when her second husband died (by flying a glider off somewhere and disappearing), she reflects that it would be nice to see her first husband again.
Marianne travels into the country to the home of her ex-husband, and father of her daughters Martha and Sara, Johan. Johan is undergoing a family crisis with his insolvent and needy son, Henrik, and granddaughter, Karin. Karin is 19, and Henrik asks Johan for an advance on his inheritance so that Henrik can buy Karin an old Fagnola cello, to make a better impression at the audition for the European music conservatory. The elderly Johan decides to consider the offer and to contact the cello dealer himself. While Henrik is away tending to the orchestra he conducts in Uppsala, Johan has a private meeting with Karin, informing her of a proposal from Ivan Chablov, head conductor in the St. Petersburg orchestra and an old friend of Johan, that Karin join him at the prestigious Sibelius Academy in Helsinki.
While considering this offer Karin also finds an old letter from her departed mother Anna written to Henrik a week before her death. In the letter, Anna asks Henrik to relieve Karin of the unhealthy control he holds over her as her cello teacher. When Henrik encounters Karin again upon his return from Uppsala, where he no longer holds a position as concertmaster, he attempts to convince Karin into performing a concert of Bach's Cello Suites with him. She finally confronts him about his control over her and tells him of her decision to take an opportunity to study with her friend Emma in Hamburg under Claudio Abbado. The final request by Henrik is that Karin play the sarabande from Bach's 5th Cello Suite, which she already knows.
We encounter Marianne and Johan some time later, after Karin has already left for Hamburg. Marianne receives a phone call stating that Henrik has been found in the hospital having attempted suicide with pills and by cutting his wrists and throat. In the next scene a pained Johan suffering from a sort of anxiety attack seeks out Marianne and eventually disrobes along with her and joins her in bed. Next, Marianne is holding a still of the couple in bed and explaining what happened after that episode. She explains how she and Johan had kept in contact until one day she was no longer able to reach him. She thinks again of the departed Anna and recollects a visit to her ill daughter Martha who is in a sanatarium. She explains the contact she shared with her daughter and how she had never really been able to touch her before this moment.

Tags: romantic

Review:
This film is about a scandal that almost changed history.
Unless you study geneology, you probably are unaware of the exact line of descent of the present Royal Family of England.
Most people don't really think about it but the House of Windsor has only had that name since 1917 (when it's German name was changed in World War I).
Prior to 1901 (when Edward VII inherited the British throne) the Royal Family was known as the House of Hanover.
But prior to 1714, the Royal Family were the Scottish based Stuarts (who ruled, with one eleven year gap, from 1603 - 1714).
It's confusing, but much political turmoil is involved in the change from Stuarts to Hanovarians.The Stuarts were cousins of the Tudors, and when the great Elizabeth I died in 1603 she was without Tudor heirs.
James VI of Scotland (son of Elizabeth's rival and cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots) became James I of England.
The daughter, Elizabeth, married a German Protestant prince, the Elector of the Palatinate (now part of the Czech Republic).
Her descendants included Prince Rupert, the brilliant cavalry general for his uncle King Charles I in the Civil Wars of the 1640s.
One of the descendants of Elizabeth Stuart was Princess Sophia, the wife of the Elector of Hanover.
In the 1690s, the elderly Princess found that (except for Princess Anne of England, and her son William, Duke of Gloucester - a sickly youth who would die in 1701) she was next in line to the British throne if anything happened to King William III and his wife Queen Mary II.
If anything happened to Princess Sophia, her son Prince George inherited her claim to the British throne.
Sorry for this confusion of inherited titles presumptive, but that is how it went.Prince George was not a loveable person.
He had married a cousin named Sophia Dorothea of Celle for her inheritance (needed to beef up his German territories around Hanover).
George's father (the Elector of Hanover) had a mistress, Countess von Platen, who wielded great influence in the German state.
This Countess introduced a young Swedish aristocrat, Count Philippe Koeningsmarck, to the court.
His second mistake was that he and Princess Sophia Dorothea of Celle met and became too chummy.
It angered Prince George, who (while he had many mistresses) did not like the snickers of people thinking him a cuckold.
Platen (most likely) decoyed the Swede, and had him assassinated - she found her influence in court dead after that, and in her last years was thought to be plagued by Koeningsmarck's ghost.
In European circles the scandal spread, especially as it affected the way Englishmen viewed the prospected Protestant heirs to the throne.
Her half-brother, James the Old Pretender (father of Bonnie Prince Charlie)was a Catholic who supported his cousin Louis XIV in the war.
Prince George, despite the scandal, became King George I in 1714.
And his descendants have ruled Britain ever since.Poor Princess Sophia Dorothea of Celle never was Queen.
George did not divorce her, but he had her imprisoned in her castle at Celle until she died in 1726.
Her son and daughter by George never forgave him, and the boy (the future King George II) made life very difficult for his father as a result.
There is a story (which one would like to believe) that while visiting Hanover shortly after his wife's death, a note was thrown into his carriage from a crowd.
The note was from Sophia Dorothea, and it cursed George for his bullying and cruelty to her and others.
George, reportedly, had a seizure reading this vitriolic message from the dead, and was paralyzed as a result until he died.
Unfortunately this story seems to be false.The film is pretty close to the actual tale, though it makes the relationship between the Princess of Celle and Koeningsmarck seem more of a love affair than it may have been.
Stewart Granger is fine as the Swedish Count, and Joan Greenwood (she of the plummy toned voice) is equally good as the Princess.
Peter Bull, that splendid British heavy, does a good Prince George, bullying his wife and servants, but capable of sly viciousness when he wants to retaliate against Koeningsmarck.
And Flora Robson shows the inner demons driving her to destroy the young protegee who can't reciprocate a love he never had in the first place.
Anthony Quayle, as one of the rivals of Koeningsmarck at the little royal court, is as good as he usually is, and lives up to the warning of never turning your back on Quayle in a duel!Oddly enough, the Koeningsmarck family left a larger shadow on European history than this film suggests.
At one point in the script, Philippe mentions that his younger brother (Count Karl von Koeningsmarck) was tried for murder.
The three thugs were found guilty of the murder and executed, but the Count (due to influence from King Charles II) was acqitted.
However, Count Karl died a few years afterwards.
Marachel Saxe was known to be particularly rough in leading his men against armies led by members of the Hanovarian royal family in the wars of this period.
Look out for simply stunning performances from Peter Bull as the heir presumptive to the British throne and, above all, Flora Robson as Countess Platen.
Stewart Granger (Konigsmark) is in top form and Francoise Rosay as the Electress Sophia is unforgettable.
The only area of weakness is Joan Greenwood's Sophie Dorothea, but she is supposed to be playing a tragic victim and maybe that's why critics wrote her off as a wet lettuce.
Terrific performances, excellent production values and superb color cinematography highlight this tale of court intrigue, forbidden love and murder.
Saraband for Dead Lovers was mentioned by Stewart Granger as one of the few films of his that he was truly proud of, and it's plain to see why.
In fact, if you liked that film, you'll probably love this one.
All the supporting cast are very good, especially Peter Bull and Anthony Quayle.
SARABAND FOR DEAD LOVERS (Basil Dearden, 1948) ***1/2.
I have always wondered why this movie – which is generally accorded the rank of a minor classic by film critics and historians – is not better known today and more widely discussed; having now watched it for myself, while I would readily proclaim it a near-masterpiece, I can perhaps also pinpoint the reason behind its relative neglect: the thing is that its production company Ealing Studios (whose first color production – and, in hindsight, its costliest flop – it was) is more associated with its celebrated run of droll comedies than with tragic historical romances.
Although SARABAND FOR DEAD LOVERS may initially seem to pertain to the "Gainsborough school" of costumers then in fashion in British cinema that were spearheaded by the box-office popularity of THE MAN IN GREY (1943), the film was clearly intended from the outset to be on a higher artistic plane altogether.
Co-written by the great Alexander Mackendrick (who would soon go on to direct some of Ealing's finest comedies), the film greatly benefits from Michael Relph's sumptuous décor, Douglas Slocombe's gleaming Technicolor cinematography (that indeed makes one bemoan the fact that Optimum's far from optimally restored R2 DVD does not really do it justice!) and Alan Rawsthorne's majestic score; on top of it all, we have masterful direction (undeniably one of the finest showcases for the distinguished Basil Dearden) and impeccable acting from a splendid roster of actors: Stewart Granger (as the dashing but ill-fated Swedish soldier Konigsmark, SARABAND FOR DEAD LOVERS was reportedly the one film of his he liked best!), Joan Greenwood (a very moving performance as the doomed Princess Sophie Dorothea), Flora Robson (excellent as an unlikely courtesan/king-maker with her own designs on Granger), Francoise Rosay (as the formidably inflexible matriarch), Peter Bull (typically loathsome as the future King George I), Michael Gough (as his martyred younger brother), Frederick Valk (as one of Robson's 'conquests' and Rosay's kin), Anthony Quayle (as Robson's reptilian spy), Megs Jenkins (as Greenwood's empathizing maid), Guy Rolfe (appearing in the opening sequences as one of Greenwood's wardens) – and, allegedly in bit parts, even Peter Arne, John Gregson and Christopher Lee!!
Among the various impressively-staged sequences in the film, two particular highlights stand out: a masked Greenwood's panic-stricken passage through a crowd of Carnival revelers being terminated by the sudden appearance of a facially uncovered Granger; and the climactic swordfight in a darkened hall which depicts a wounded Quayle mortally knifing Granger in the back, followed by the latter (having just uttered the name of his beloved Sophie Dorothea with his dying breath) being stomped in the face by a vindictive Robson!.
Beautiful love story.
It's a disturbing tale especially when you realize how many women in history must have felt as repressed and lonely as our heroine Sophie Dorothea.
Stewart Granger of course is always dashing in a costume drama.
At a time when Britain was supposed to be flat broke and ordinary people were seemingly as monochrome as the movies they watched, Ealing Studios was churning out classics of all kinds.
In this case a beautifully crafted and intelligent Mills & Boon in Technicolor and, with my thanks to the knowledgeable commentary of theowinthrop written earlier, the added frisson of apparently being (almost) perfectly true.Amidst the political machinations of the House of Hanover in its striving for the throne of England 300 years ago, a young and beautiful woman forced to be the wife of the boorish future King falls for a young and dashing Swedish nobleman, and vice versa.
While a powerful lady of the court is also passionately in love with the soldier.
Although initially it may take a few minutes to get into the politics of another world, it's a mesmerizingly told tale with solid emotional acting moving through some colourful luxurious sets and alternating between intense romance and somber intrigue, even a little swash.
Of the main stars Stewart Granger was seldom more er masculine and although Joan Greenwood was even more wishy washy than usual it was perfectly played and believable.
One thing: did Sophia's letter to her son ever get delivered?It might be more of a hit with the ladies, but gents too should enjoy it, with or without hankies..
Saraband for Dead Lovers tells the tragic story of Princess Sophia Dorothea of Celle who married Prince George Louis of Hanover most unhappily.
Her's is one of the saddest stories concerning royalty ever.This may have been Joan Greenwood's finest performance on screen.
For reasons of politics, she's rushed into a marriage with George Louis and has two children by him, a boy and girl.
At the time this is all taking place in the 1680s, there's no reason to suspect that these kids will be nothing more than the Electoral Princes of Hanover in the Holy Roman Empire.But through their grandmother, played here by the indomitable French actress Francoise Rosay, they are descended from James I, the first king of the United Kingdoms of Scotland and England.
Actually in fact a whole lot of people in 1689 would have to clear out of the way for Peter to become King of Great Britain.
One thing the Hanover clan had going for them, they were firm Protestants and at that point there were too many people in Great Britain who had a vested interest in an unquestioned Protestant succession.
It was the Hanoverian ace in the hole.But before all these events occur Joan Greenwood falls head over heels for the dashing Swedish Count Philip of Konigsmarck as played by Stewart Granger.
Granger probably plays Konigsmarck a lot better than he actually was, which was a military man who was not above a little bedroom politics to get what he wanted.
Before becoming involved with the younger and more attractive Greenwood, Granger was providing a little nookie on the side to Flora Robson.
Robson was the old mistress of the Duke Ernest Augustus played here by Frederick Valk, but the old girl wanted something a little livelier which Granger provided for a few favorable mentions.
As in real life Granger moved away when he found something better and Flora reacted with the fury of a woman scorned.Some of you might recognize a bit of Anna Karennina in this story and I wouldn't be surprised if Count Tolstoy took this story as inspiration when he wrote his epic classic.Peter Bull and Joan Greenwood are the direct ancestors of the present monarch of the United Kingdom and her family.
In 1715 Peter Bull became George I of Great Britain and distinguished himself by never learning to speak one drop of English.
But the little boy in this film grew up to be George II and so on and so on until Elizabeth II.For what happens to lovers Granger and Greenwood you have to watch the film for.
It's a story that the royals aren't exactly proud of..
Long before the film was made, I read the book it is based on, namely Konigsmark by A.E.W.Mason.
I found the book enthralling and was more than eager to see the film, which turned out to be equally magical, exciting and romantic.
To my mind the actors were superbly cast and the sets and costumes so beautifully designed that I felt I was living the events myself and the book and the historical period came vividly to life.
I do hope that copies of the film have not been lost and that one day it will reappear perhaps in a remastered form.
It is one of the gems of forties' British film-making and deserves to be seen by a present-day audience..
Buried in the middle of this film is a five minute beautiful example of a montage by rhythm as Joan Greenwood tries to make her way through a chaotic masque ball in order to meet her lover.
The cuts and flash pans are edited rhythmically with the music and make for a wonderful example of a well-executed montage sequence.
Show just this sequence to film students..
I had a devil of a time finding this film, as of 2019 the only option open to me was a cheap for sale VHS, and thanks to my husband for keeping old equipment.
Stewart Granger sited this film as the only one he found worthy of his efforts, so as fan I was motivated to locate it.
There are no free streams anywhere, and Youtube has only a short black and white clip.Without having had the historical background for this film (well written here by theowinthrop), I struggled to understand what was going on, as the sound editing for this film was less than the best and dialogue fast clipped.
The general public would also not be familiar on this side of the Atlantic with German/British titled history, which explains why it bombed at the box office.
The acting was excellent, however, particularly by Dame Flora Robson and Stewart Granger.What the film did, however, was motivate me to do some historical research of the period, and to read the historical novel from which this movie was intimately faithful: "Saraband for Dead Lovers", by Helen de guerry Simpson, written in 1935.
If the film was abstruse, the book was in concert.
However, despite that, I do not think that the original production brought out the best in this story, notwithstanding the excellent acting.
One definitely should not approach viewing the film without consulting some English/German monarchal history first..
After 40 minutes of this film, I still had no idea what was going on.
No wonder the film is forgotten - it's just not at all engaging.
This is a terrible shame, especially as the story deals with the ancestors of the current royal family at the time when their ancestry was about to switch to the German lineage.
I feel the film-makers have done a huge dis-service to what should have been a fascinating story.
The worst offender is Joan Greenwood as Sophie Dorothea.
The film is basically about a doomed love affair.
I suggest you read that for all the interest and knowledge surrounding this topic and forget about this film.
Stunning Ealing film....a tragedy that it is not better known....
Amazing, amazing film that, sadly, virtually no one knows about.
This Ealing historical romance, filmed in muted Technicolour tones, is just stunning.
If you are one of the "Stewart Granger was a smarmy bastard who can't act" club, you obviously haven't seen this film.
Granger and Joan Greenwood play the doomed lovers of the title to perfection.
Flora Robson should have been nominated, and won, the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her excellent performance.
This film contains many visual delights, not least a five minute montage where Greenwood tries to make her way through a masked crowd of revelers to meet her lover.
This is a big statement, but the film should be as well known and widely seen as other great British films of it's vintage, such as Lean's Great Expectations and Reed's Odd Man Out. Seek this one out at every opportunity!
"Charabancs for dead lovers -what's that all about?"......
.....demanded my slightly deaf Uncle Charlie when my aunt read out the local cinema guide.
Not charabancs,saraband - it's a dance",she replied with all the authority of a woman who ran Ballet and Tap classes from her parlour for 30 years.
There was a film about parachutists next week,maybe we could go and see that.
"Saraband for dead lovers" was a huge flop with picture goers in its time.
Despite good production values and sterling performances its subject matter - 
an obscure European aristocrat mostly unknown to an audience who were generally strongly opposed to anything even vaguely Germanic three years after the end of World War 2.
beautifully produced piece of work,an early example of exquisite use of colour in a British picture.