Philippe has to learn what we all learn, that man is not as he wishes to appear to be to others or even to himself. We are all Adam and Eve, hiding from the face of God. Whether you rise up on the morrow sadder but wiser for this knowledge — that is another question. (Directed by Sir Carol Reed)
Thank you very much for discussing this movie. I have it on DVD myself. I guess I was a teenager when I first came across it. I probably wasn't much more aware at that time than was Philippe, who portrayed innocence spectacularly. I remember also being attracted to Baines--actually Sir Ralph Richardson--because of his urbanity. (I also think that he was a father figure for me as well as my parents divorced when I was 11.)
Urbanity was something I didn't encounter much in my milieu. I grew up in a fun-in-the-sun beach town in Southern California, about as far away from Graham Greene's London as you could get. High culture for us was the Beach Boys (local boys), Beach Blanket Bingo and Gidget. I tried to blend in, but I really wanted to grow up to be urbane and sophisticated myself, however any attempts I made always lead to awkward embarrassment. Some of my peers thought I was stuck up or nerdy--and in those days being a nerd wasn't cool. I didn't cut much of a figure with the young ladies, that's for sure!
I didn't see then the "fallen" part of The Fallen Angel. Now that I'm older I understand that part better. It is absolutely true that "that man is not as he wishes to appear to be to others or even to himself." At 72 I have been surveying my past life for some time now. Its memories sometimes come to me in physical rushes when I'm in bed or during a lapse in attention. I ask myself whether, in fact, others had seen then what I now see--sometimes for the first time which adds to the embarrassing sensation. I would be in complete despair but for Our Lord Jesus Christ. He provides me what little comfort I have.
One small good has come from it in as much as I have learned to be a little less haughty in judging my fellow creatures. This is not to be interpreted as the therapeutic non-judgmentalism popular in our decadent time, rather it is that what judgment I do make is done with an understanding of my own fallenness. (As I write this, I realize that we Christians are not, however, fallen angels. We are men who, come the Resurrection, will rise again and walk with Him.)
It’s a fantastic movie! Thank you for reminding us of it. I incline more towards comedies, because I love to rewatch them, whereas the great dramas of that era are so powerful and stay with you so long that I can only handle them once a decade or so…
I always preferred these gentler (?), smaller dramas to the big “message picture” of the year Hollywood used to put out - even back then, when I usually agreed with the message. And the British ones were so, so good. Thank you!
Love these reviews! May I suggest putting a note in somewhere with a link to streaming the movie? My wife and I search for these, but it would be nice to click and go!
Thank you very much for discussing this movie. I have it on DVD myself. I guess I was a teenager when I first came across it. I probably wasn't much more aware at that time than was Philippe, who portrayed innocence spectacularly. I remember also being attracted to Baines--actually Sir Ralph Richardson--because of his urbanity. (I also think that he was a father figure for me as well as my parents divorced when I was 11.)
Urbanity was something I didn't encounter much in my milieu. I grew up in a fun-in-the-sun beach town in Southern California, about as far away from Graham Greene's London as you could get. High culture for us was the Beach Boys (local boys), Beach Blanket Bingo and Gidget. I tried to blend in, but I really wanted to grow up to be urbane and sophisticated myself, however any attempts I made always lead to awkward embarrassment. Some of my peers thought I was stuck up or nerdy--and in those days being a nerd wasn't cool. I didn't cut much of a figure with the young ladies, that's for sure!
I didn't see then the "fallen" part of The Fallen Angel. Now that I'm older I understand that part better. It is absolutely true that "that man is not as he wishes to appear to be to others or even to himself." At 72 I have been surveying my past life for some time now. Its memories sometimes come to me in physical rushes when I'm in bed or during a lapse in attention. I ask myself whether, in fact, others had seen then what I now see--sometimes for the first time which adds to the embarrassing sensation. I would be in complete despair but for Our Lord Jesus Christ. He provides me what little comfort I have.
One small good has come from it in as much as I have learned to be a little less haughty in judging my fellow creatures. This is not to be interpreted as the therapeutic non-judgmentalism popular in our decadent time, rather it is that what judgment I do make is done with an understanding of my own fallenness. (As I write this, I realize that we Christians are not, however, fallen angels. We are men who, come the Resurrection, will rise again and walk with Him.)
It’s a fantastic movie! Thank you for reminding us of it. I incline more towards comedies, because I love to rewatch them, whereas the great dramas of that era are so powerful and stay with you so long that I can only handle them once a decade or so…
I always preferred these gentler (?), smaller dramas to the big “message picture” of the year Hollywood used to put out - even back then, when I usually agreed with the message. And the British ones were so, so good. Thank you!
Love these reviews! May I suggest putting a note in somewhere with a link to streaming the movie? My wife and I search for these, but it would be nice to click and go!
God Bless,
Mark