Letter from an Unknown Woman Movie (1948)

Letters from an Unknown Woman weaves a tragic tale of a one sided love affair that would ultimately destroy the woman involved.

The story opens at its ending as a man Stefan Brand once a famous pianist is packing to avoid a duel. As he is preparing to flee a letter arrives which he precedes to read. In a series of flashbacks we come to know Lisa, first as an impressionable young girl developing a crush on Stefan who by then is only beginning to create a name for himself. Next as a young woman of independent means who embarks on an affair with the man she never forgot who leaves her after a few weeks heartbroken and unknowingly pregnant. Eventually years later she meets a man who worships her but a chance meeting with Stefan and her passion flares once again until she throws away everything she has to be with him and is once again left alone.

In the last days of her life she composes a letter to the man she has loved her entire adult existance never blaming and always forgiving.

I loved this movie for so many reasons. Joan Fontaine leads the cast and is as always a luminous herorine. Mostly though it speaks to me, so many of us fall for the wrong person, someone who almost never even notices we're there and against common sense and intellect we still would do anything to be with them or in their company. Eventually we hope we will wake up to the reality where as 'Letters from an Unknown Woman' shows what could happen when we don't.

The film acts also as a self potrait to a shallow handsome man who never sees beyond his own reflection till standing on the brink of deaths door his life is told through anothers eyes not condeming or cajoling but just as she saw it and always with love which in turn makes him finally see passed the reflection and what he had missed out on.

So many find Lisa's character weak, how could she love such a self involved individual yet in matters of the heart how many of us know when to stop loving someone.
A beautifully told heartbreaking story, definately have those tissues ready.
Gigi's Louis Jordan co stars.