nicholas.rhodes Review of Act of Love

Act of Love (1953)

Leaves a hole through your heart - but worth the watch

[9/10 · 8 October 2007]

I discovered this one on French Television yesterday as the last of a series of Anatole Litvak films. I've probably been over-generous by giving it a 9 but admit to having some strange criteria for my annotations. It is an American film made on location in the city of Paris ( as opposed to being made in a studio ). And this is the Paris of the golden romantic age of the 1950's, not the ugly one of today - there's no comparison between the two. In addition to this we have lavish helpings of accordion playing Michel Emer's "Le Disque Usé" ( Tant qu'il y a la vie, il y a de l'espoir ....), a beautiful song made famous by Edith Piaf many years ago and indeed difficult to find on CD in an ordinary instrumental version...as they say in French .."quand j'entends cet air, je craque ....." ! Another unexpected jewel in the film was a glimpse, albeit short, of my favourite area of Paris - old Belleville and the Rue Vilin Staircase. Whilst most of the film is made in central Paris with views of the Seine etc, at one stage, Kirk Douglas is hiding out from the army authorities down a staircase. This is the famous "Escalier de la Rue Vilin" and there are various views from top and bottom of this staircase. It is exactly the same place as is used in the film 'The Red Balloon", "Les Jeux Dangereux", "Casque d'Or", " Du Rififi chez Les Hommes " and "Le Doulos". I have a book all about this area and apparently another American film was made there called "Gigot, clochard de Bellville" made by Gene Kelly and starring Jackie Gleeson as a mute. As you may imagine, there's more chance of an elephant passing through the eye of a needle than of finding that film anywhere in the world. To return to Act of Love, this is a sort of French "Waterloo Bridge", it starts out in Villefranche Sur Mer on the Côte D'Azur and flashes back to Paris in 1945. The same Michel Emer tune is heard both now and then. Kirk Douglas, as handsome as ever, wishes to stay in one particular room in a hotel, and a flashback indicates why. It is the same technique as in Waterloo Bridge with Robert Taylor and Vivien Leigh. At the same time he meets another American tourist who seems to recognize him by who he himself does not recognize. The flashback helps us on this one too. At the end of the film, all fits into place but you have that same sickening and lugubrious feeling you had at the end of Waterloo Bridge. Plot-wise, the film is a little slow to get off the ground, and the love affair between Kirk Douglas and Dany RObin takes time to gather steal. That is my principal criticism. Also we see Serge Reggiani in a very aggressive role which annoyed me no end ! I didn't like the man at the best of times but in this film he was frankly a pain in the neck ! No doubt the film is unavailable anywhere on DVD - but I am at least glad to have a taped copy and will keep an eye out for any future issue. Missed "rendez-vous", be they in Act of Love, Waterloo Bridge or even Charles Boyer's "Back Street" are very difficult for me to bear whilst watching a film and leave an everlasting and indelible memory within me. The film is definitely to be recommended for nostalgics of old Paris, Kirk Douglas fans, and rare gems from the 1950's.