Good concept, poorly executed.

Absolutely brilliant

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

Personal tastes can affect the way you watch a movie or decide what it is you will watch. But it's also nice to extend yourself past the sort of movies you favor to see what else is out there. Such was the case when I received my copy of FOREVER AMBER. In reading the synopsis I could tell it wasn't my normal type of film to enjoy. But I watched it anyone determined to see if I would enjoy it or not. The end result was a mixed bag.The movie is based on the best-selling novel, considered scandalous at the time it was released and banned in several cities. It tells the story of a young woman named Amber St. Clair (Linda Darnell), raised by puritans, who leaves her home behind after meeting an adventurer named Bruce Carlton (Cornel Wilde). Carlton romances Amber but then leaves her behind to go off to the new world. He leaves her with some money but she is soon taken advantage of and thrown into prison.Unfortunately for Amber she discovers she is pregnant with Bruce's child. She meets a highwayman when the prison guards pimp out the female prisoners who helps her escape and sets her up in his place. But as the movie moves forward you begin to see that a pattern develops with Amber. This new beau is killed during a scam the pair have concocted and she ends up with another man who wants to marry her, never realizing she continues to pine for Bruce with the intent to marry him.Bruce continues to come and go into Amber's life. Her son grows from infant to child. And eventually she finds herself in the King's favor, King Charles II (George Sanders). But even when she finally achieves the status and social position she thinks will win her the favor of Carlton she brings ruin to her plans. It isn't until the end of the film that you discover if she succeeds or not. And even that is left up in the air when you learn that the company that released the film changed the ending.The movie runs longer than one would think at over 2 hours, long for a movie that was released in 1947. And to be honest it felt like it ran long too. That isn't to say it isn't a good movie or that the story doesn't keep you watching, but it feels repetitious at times. The acting is superb with both Darnell and Wilde giving it their all. Sanders dry way of playing the king also is worth noting.Fans of night time soaps or costume dramas will find this film to their liking. Others will be able to enjoy it but won't make an effort to seek it out. On the whole it was a nice movie with an interesting story but for me the melodrama became a bit much. Then again I'd just finished watching WUTHERING HEIGHTS before putting this one in so that may not have helped.Twilight Time has provided the cleanest version of the film to ever be offered but what would one expect from them by now? They always do a tremendous job an don't fail to do so here. Extras include an isolated music track, a featurette entitled LINDA DARNELL: HOLLYWOOD'S FALLEN ANGEL and writings by film historian Julie Kirgo. As with all Twilight Time titles this one is limited to just 3,000 copies so if interested pick yours up before they're gone.

I just wanted to say that for an old movie, it was okay. I read the book before I saw the movie, and usually that is cause for nitpicking. I think that the main problems I had with the movie were that it seemed to jump around a lot and I don't think I would have known what was going on if I hadn't read the book. Also, one comment mentioned that the ending could have led to a sequel, which I guess is true. But, in the book, Amber lets Bruce and Corrine take little Bruce, and then Amber's enemies tell her that Corrine has died, so Amber takes off to America to be with him. The problem is, Corrine is alive, Amber's enemies simply wanted to be rid of her. I really think it would be great if the movie were remade today, with all the details. I would pay to see it!

"You've done very well for yourself, Amber."With this line, Cornell Wilde's character shows himself a master of understatement. It is delivered coldly, with neither criticism nor respect.FOREVER AMBER is the portrait of a peasant girl who refused to be destroyed by her poverty and the hopeless prospects awaiting her. She used her sexuality and her brains to become the King's consort.This film presents a vivid portrait of life in England before the Cromwellian revolution. It was an amoral, extremely cynical, heartlessly cruel society.Linda Darnell's performance is a tour de force. She manages to play the strumpet, while letting the audience see her strength of character shining through all the while. Her love for the fickle Bruce Carlton/Cornell Wilde is too deep for him to ever understand.One of the most haunting episodes in classic films is the depiction of London in the grip of the Black Plague. Amber risks her life by staying at Bruce's side through his delirium and personally performing the surgery that saves him.Amber's tragedy is one that every woman who has ever had to fight for herself in this world can recognize. The movie is far more than a period soap opera. In fact, with David Raksin's incredible orchestral score, the production could have provided the framework for the composition of a real opera.... La Boheme, move over!

I had not seen Forever Amber since I saw it in a theater as a young girl and was completely captivated by the intrigue and the flash and dash of it all.Seeing it now as a MUCH older woman, I see the holes, mostly in the lighting which is quite dim even when it should be bright. Perhaps the set designer was trying to give the effect of period lighting.I was struck by how much the story follows the bare-bones of Gone With The Wind, in particular the way it ends and the glamorous and enigmatic Baron Carlton- Cornell Wilde, walk away with the child while Amber watches from the window. A perfect opening for the sequel that never came.Forever Amber doesn't even pretend to be a GREAT film, but it is a good one with good acting and some wonderful touches, especially George Sanders' terrific "Snidley Whiplash" aka James II. as he calls his brace of King Charles spaniels "children".Linda Darnell is lovely but not as accomplished an actress as Vivian Leigh (or as beautiful). Cornell Wilde is NOT Clark Gable-but who was? Still, both manager to give satisfactory performances.Wilde's best scenes are with the child who looks very much like him. There is a warmth and humor about Wilde when he is interacting with the child that is charming. His Baron Carlton is aloof and something of a snob with everyone else. He is aware of his station in life and unable to break his code of behavior even for Amber. I have no doubt he likes her, but I don't think he ever loved her in the same way she loved him. He never really seems to empathize with her struggles, but is genuinely grateful to her for saving his life and delighted with his young son. He is an puzzle wrapped in a conundrum.Amber is all surface. She has the depth of a parking-lot puddle and I find myself wishing Maureen O'Hara had been cast. Then REAL sparks would fly. In Darnell's Amber we get a smudge-pot. Oh well.The glimpses of the court and old London, the plague and the fire are interesting and, in general the film is FUN.My one REAL regret is that we never see enough of Wilde fencing. He was a National fencing champion and on the 1936 Olympic Fencing team, but his fencing scene in Amber is shot through fog so dense you can hardly see him. That's a shame!!Enjoy that barn-burner for what it is, not what it could have been!