Mlle. Froufrou

Gone With the Wind. Jezebel. The Toy Wife. Antebellum fever. Big mansions. Southern belles. Beautiful ball gowns. African American house putting them on the southern belles. Frou-Frou was young and frivolous, but friendly and kind. She wanted to go to New Orleans. I don't blame her. I love that place myself. Rainer did not overact. She was in character, of overdoing, childlike girl-woman character. She married the first man who proposed. Wish I could have seen her wedding. You can see that not all slaves were happy, as shown in some other films. This was about to change when Emancipation occurred. Oh, I love a man who kills someone. How heroic. They didn't have much entertainment, lol.

Quite the period piece... the south, before the civil war. But some big names.. .Melvyn Douglas (star of silents and talkies), Robert Young (Marcus Welby), HB Warner (many films). some similarities to Gone With the Wind.... girl likes one guy. another guy proposes, so she accepts. but still likes the other guy. and doesn't really get over it. stuff happens. many references to slavery. not all complimentary, but historically accurate. goes on and on. lessons learned. one lives with ones' decisions. Directed by Richard Thorpe. about the biggest films for him were Jailhouse Rock and Fun in Acapulco.

I have watched television over the last forty years and this is one of the few black and white movies that I missed. It was great to see one of the greats again. This movie invokes a wide set of emotions that doesn't require explicit sex, explosions or fast plots. The photography is outstanding and every close up is a prefect portrait of expression and lighting. Luise Rainer gives an incredible performance. After reading her biography, I understand that she is known for her emotional dramatic acting and hand postures, but in this film, I don't see how any one could have pretended to be as beautiful and flighty. The character was "almost" mentally ill, that is nearly detached from reality. Flighty and beautiful...a prefect performance. I'd have to say that she stole the show. *S* Thank you Luise.