Customer Reviews

Fedora [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.0 Import - Spain ]

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is Billy Wilder's most poignant film. Wilder's work is very cynical, funny, and really acerbic at times, but his later work in the 1970's had a melancholy and sadness that his previous films did not. These qualities were demonstrated no better than in this film, Fedora. The film is a cousin to Wilder's better known Sunset Boulevard, again starring William Holden as a washed up film producer trying to lure a reclusive star out of retirement. He ends up uncovering secrets about the actress and her family that were probably better left unknown. The film has a sadness for the old Hollywood days. Wilder was always cynical, but he probably realised that the new Hollywood of the 1970's (this film is from 1978) was far worse than the old studio system was. In retrospective, old Hollywood films are more interesting and have tons more depth than current Hollywood films ever will. This film isn't filled with the acid tongued humour of Sunset Boulevard. It has a weary resignation about it. The performances are very good, especially Holden. He did a few films after this, but this one was his last great role. Wilder is sympathetic to Holden's character, perhaps because he felt like him at times. Despite Wilder's amazing track record, he had trouble getting financing for this film, and it ended up being financed by German TV of all things. He only made one film after this, the critically drubbed Buddy, Buddy, and spent the last 20 years of his life in retirement. This is my favorite Wilder film.

Please, let's release this one on DVD. I mean, Billy Wilder's last film!!!??? Definitely worth it.

The acting was great. The storyline held me spellbound. Maybe because I related to the 'young' Fedora. It is a psychological art film which is definately worth seeing.

Forgotten footage - Based on one of the four stories from TOM TRYON's "Crowned Heads" {"The Other", "Harvest Home", "Lady"}, it's also directed by Billy Wilder who previously gave us the memorable Norma Desmond [Sunset Boulevard].

A suicide? No THE suicide of an Immortal Movie Goddess starts this odyssey ...... the reporter [William Holden, "late" of "Sunset"]starts the probe. He knew her way back as a younger man, bumped into her accidentally, gave her an admired flannel shirt. Now, he tracks down the mysterious {veiled} mother, a semi-soul survivor in yet another mystery mansion....plot thickens.

Yes, there is a great ploy buried in the script for the comeback rather RETURN of a lost moviestar, but this is not quite realized in the movie. Slightly flawed, there were whispers of Dietrich returning in this vehicle, Wilder chose the Great, not forgotten Hildegard Kneff, another magnificent beauty. Marthe Keller stars as Fedora, or does she?

The novel should be revisited, SO MUCH MORE potential waiting for celluloid, or is it the Internet today?