A Long Absence tied with Luis Buñuel's Viridiana in winning the Palme d'Or at the 1961 Cannes Film Festival; despite this in the long run Viridiana has enjoyed a much easier staying power among the ranks of world film classics. A Long Absence is in many ways a "safer" film; less outrageous or daring than Viridiana, but it still hits a touching note that makes it easy to see why it struck a chord in its day. While arguably "safer", it also avoids a cheap tacked-on happy ending.
A Long Absence uses World War II as a backdrop and looks at a war widow and the story of the soldiers who lost their identity and fell through the cracks. We have a Tramp who the war widow believes is in fact her long-lost husband; he struggles with amnesia and she struggles to cure him. We've had stories of homeless Vietnam War veterans in later years; rarely have I come across stories of a homeless WWII veteran.
Despite the fact that I'd argue A Long Absence is "safe" in comparison to Viridiana (or other Palme d'Or-winners in later years), it's not totally an easy film; whether the Tramp is in fact the veteran is left to interpretation; the evidence is stacked in favour of that view but reasons for doubt are also given. Long Absence is worth a watch and possibly a small re-evaluation.
A Long Absence uses World War II as a backdrop and looks at a war widow and the story of the soldiers who lost their identity and fell through the cracks. We have a Tramp who the war widow believes is in fact her long-lost husband; he struggles with amnesia and she struggles to cure him. We've had stories of homeless Vietnam War veterans in later years; rarely have I come across stories of a homeless WWII veteran.
Despite the fact that I'd argue A Long Absence is "safe" in comparison to Viridiana (or other Palme d'Or-winners in later years), it's not totally an easy film; whether the Tramp is in fact the veteran is left to interpretation; the evidence is stacked in favour of that view but reasons for doubt are also given. Long Absence is worth a watch and possibly a small re-evaluation.