THE PRIVATE AFFAIRS OF BEL AMI
US, 1947, 112 minutes, Black and white.
Geroge Sanders, Angela Lansbury, Ann Dvorak, Marie Wilson, John Carradine, Frances Dee.
Directed by Albert Lewin.
The Private Affairs of Bel Ami is an elegant costume melodrama based on the writings of Guy de Maupassant. The director is Albert Lewin who had made the picture of Dorian Grey and who was to make Pandora. and the Flying Dutchman. Lewin was a literary director and tried to get the equivalent on screen of the times he was recreating. This makes his films somewhat artificial and to some extent dated. George Sanders is at home in the role of the confidence trickster and cad who seduces women quite easily and Angela Lansbury is effective in a central role. This to an interesting version of de Maupassant but not entirely agreeable as popular entertainment.
1. The impact of this film in terms of enjoyment and interest?
2. The film and its cinematic style of the mid forties: black and white photography, studio sets, the artificial style, the atmosphere of nineteenth century elegance?
3. The film was based on a French classic. Did the film’s style indicate this? How?
4. The ignorance and tone of the title? The prologue about a scoundrel? How well was this illustrated? The film as a mortal on its prologue?
5. How did the film retain its interest? How could audiences identify with Bel Ami? How could they detach themselves from this point of view and behaviour?
6. The importance of the French setting, France in the nineteenth century? Paris and society, the look at the strata of society in Paris, the political backgrounds? How convincingly and interestingly done?
7. The focus on Bel Ami? As poor at the start, his background of the army, his snubbing of Rachel, his gaining of the job? His various changes of names? His ability to forget origins and responsibilities and friends?
8. His skill at working at on the paper? The style and playing with people’s reputations? The film’s presentation of his rise? His money? His growing in elegant style? The mask of a scoundrel?
9. The encounter with Clotilde? The nature of his relationship with her? Her fascination with him? The possibility of marriage and his rejection of it? The fact that he really loved her and the children? Her fidelity to him and helping him? The insight into the side of his character which could be redeemed?
10. His friendship with the journalist and gaining the job? The illness of the journalist? His relationship with the journalist’s wife? The manoeuvre to marry Madeleine? Their collaboration at the paper? His manoeuvring the divorce case, his rejection of her? Audience response to this?
11. His fascination for the mother and her support of him? Her prim society manners? the symbol of the painting of St Anthony? the manipulation of her daughter, the marriage? The reaction of mother and father? Their helplessness? The fact that they had fostered this relationship?
12. The presentation of politics, the making and breaking of careers, corruption? The film’s judgement on this?
13. The mother's vengeance, audience supporting her?
14. The importance of the final encounter with Clotilde and her telling the truth, his reaction?
15. A gentleman fighting a duel? The morality of duels? Bel Ami’s confidence? The opponent and his being put up to the duel? The questions of personal honour? The politician manoeuvring the duel?
16. The inevitability of Bel Ami’s death? Why? Did he expect to die? Did he want to die? Was he ready to die? The vengeance of the mother and her explanation, his wife rushing to save him, Clotilde and her continued fidelity? The importance of the coach ride and the review of his life?
17. How much of the nineteenth century were these themes of the individual, the scoundrel, the rise and fall of an ordinary man, politics? Are these themes of great relevance to the present?
