THE STORY OF THREE LOVES

US, 1953, 122 minutes, Colour.
Pier Angeli, Ethel Barrymore, Leslie Caron, Kirk Douglas, Farley Granger, James Mason, Moira Shearer, Agnes Moorhead.
Mademoiselle, directed by Vincente Minnelli.
Equilibrium and Jealous Lover, directed by Gottfried Reinhardt.

The Story of Three Loves comprises three loosely-linked stories. The three leading ladies are not Americans. Moira Shearer appears in Jealous Lover, a ballet film with James Mason. Moira Shearer had appeared in The Red Shoes. Farley Granger and the French Leslie Caron appear in Mademoiselle. Italian Pier Angeli appears with Kirk Douglas in the circus story, Equilibrium.

The film has a musical score by Miklos Rozsa (Spellbound, Quo Vadis, King of Kings).

Vincente Minnelli directed the Leslie Caron - Farley Granger section Mademoiselle. German director Gottfried Reinhardt directed Equilibrium and Jealous Lover.

The Jealous Lover is a kind of Svengali story, an apt performance by James Mason who portrayed a similar kind of role with Ann Todd in The Seventh Veil.

Mademoiselle is a love story, the communication of a child’s point of view, with Leslie Caron as a governess. The character of Mrs Pennicott is played by Ethel Barrymore – real or a witch, transforming the little boy into a grownup.

Equilibrium is a sadder story about a circus group after World War Two – a story with love as well as suicide and death.

1. What did the title of the film lead you to expect? What effect did the whole film have?

2. Comment on the use of the light romantic film style. It was meant to be light and enjoyable. It used the ship as the central focus for the three stories. Was this effective? Or was it rather a cliche?

3. The Jealous Lover: How interesting was this as a story of love? Did you become involved in it? Did you enjoy the dancing and the music? What kind of a person was Coutray? A Svengali type? Was he more interested in his own appreciation and holding of beauty than of other people? What kind of a person was Paula Woodward? Why did she wish to dance despite her illness? Despite the warnings of her aunt? What happiness did she achieve in her dance for Coutray? What beauty did she achieve? Did he appreciate it well? Was it enough for her life? How did the dance symbolise the yearning for happiness in life and its achievement ? It was ultimate achievement for her - was it enough? Was it a story and a dance of love?

4. Mademoiselle: was this an enjoyable love story? delightful fantasy, love story or was it too laboured? The French atmosphere of the film? How successfully did the film communicate a child's world, and a child’s point of view? What kind of person was Mademoiselle, an ordinary governess? Her coping, her teaching of lessons? How was she idealised? The influence of Mrs Pennicot? Was she a real character, a witch? The delight of her transforming the little boy into a grown up? How was this happiness of the little boy with mademoiselle something that he would remember all hie life? Its effect on him? Was the ending of this story successful as Mademoiselle found a real person to love?

5. Equilibrum: was this an interesting love story? Realistic? A feeling love story? The background of the circus and the trapeze? The significance of the name Equilibium? Pierre Norval? why was he so broody? His sense of responsibility at the death of his partner? Did he need to be changed? The effect of his encounter with Nina and rescuing her from the Seine? His care and devotion for her? Why was she so bitter? How was she transformed by Pierre’s looking after her, training her? The impact of the risk of death in the trapeze act? Audience expectations?
The act as successful? Why did they give everything up when they had faced death? Was this a symbol of success in loving?

6. The overall effect of the film ? Did it throw insight into love? or was it a pleasant diversion about love?