Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-03-06

is Superlatively effective lr its tt
deep and turbulent emotions. It is
of Farewell to Arms" and a.
generally worthy descendant Of
that memorable romance based
upon Ernest Hemingway's novel.
Nevertheless. in spite of its
excellences, "Act of Love" has
its diluting flaws. The most con-
spicuous of these is an ending
more arbitrary than ineScapably
fateful. In neither the nature OF
the anguished lovers nor the
malevolent situation into which
they are plunged is their tragedy
as implicit as the script pretends.
If this amounts to no more
than a churlish bubble against
Irwin Shaw's Screenplay, it is still
unacceptable. That is perhaps
what it does amount to-togeth-
er with the reservations that the
script resorts too easily to COIN
cidence-for Act of Love" is
palpably destined to great and
deserved popularity.
y Il y
The film which was directed
by Anatole Litvak. is an adapta-
ton of Alfred Hayes THE Girl
on the Via Flaminia." 1t is a
basically simple story but one
alive with the agonized overtoneS
and undertones of war.
Douglas role in it is that OF
an embittered. bewildered and
lonely soldier, looking for
warmth and love but unwilling
to accept these as a degraded
commerce of the streets. He
looks for something better and
cleaner and is put in touch with
it by a disillusioned, but under
standing young procureSs.
The latter knows just the girl.
q beautiful war orphan. as lonely
as Douglas and even more Scorn-
full of the easy liasons of soldiers
and girls.
Each Of these has the answer
to the others need. but each has 4
an aversion to the sordid ar
rangement which brings them
together. For all their desperate
hope. theirs is to be the full.
heartbreaking story again of love
among the ruins.
-
ACT Of Love" in Litvak's
searching direction is revealing
study of the moral atmosphere |
of a war zone city. It's drama is
sharply enhanced by the fact |
that the film is shot against the
unfailingly exciting background
Of Paris.
In this climate, the lovers of
the Palaces film can understand
neither each other or the forces
against which they contend. In
the eyes of the girl. all Americans
are rich and predatory; Douglas
perhaps less so than most but
still one who can lay his hands
on cigarettes, chocolate, timed
foods. She attempts to make it
clear that she is not for sale in
any such system of barter. he
that he is not trying to make a
casual purchase. i
Both attempts fail, and in
weaving them so sharply into |
the texture of Act Of Love-"
Litvak catches the drama of hui
mans who are allied in arms but |
worlds apart in spirit and I'M
derstanding.
The central performances of |
the film are deeply and acutely |
revealing. Miss Robin. new to |
American f1lmgoers, is a remark
ably perceptive young French |
actress. Her Lisa is a portrait of
desperation. a child cornered but
not conquered by circumstances,
torn between anger and fear with
occasional feSplteS when tOrlOrn
hope takes over.
Douglas. more artfully sue-
-dued than usual, makes an at
fecting figure of the lover who
lost in spite of his decency and
desperate courage. His Pfc.
Teller is a bitter, resentful, be-
wildered man but a game one
who can remember honor and
gentleness at the right times.
y AN
Ltvak has obtained perform
anceS Of equal effectiveness, in
their smaller dimensions, from
Others Of his large cast. One Of
these Is Barbara DeLage's SYM