Goodbye Again (1961)
At first I didn’t know what to think about this film. It seems to want to be a romantic comedy, but then has strong dramatic implications and deeply flawed characters who never really redeem themselves. What I know for certain is that this film was an unexpected treat that kept me interested right until the end.
Ingrid Bergman plays Paula, a 40 year old woman who is in a relationship of convienience with Roger (Yves Montand) wherein she does not take advantage of the freedom she is supposedly allowed. Roger, on the other hand, has his cake and eats it too and prefers to lie to Paula to keep the charade alive.
Soon enough Paula meets Philip (dashing young Anthony Perkins), the 25 year old son of one of her clients. Philip falls hard for Paula and tempts her away from the disappointments of her life with Roger.
The bond between Bergman and Montand is clear and the chemistry resonantes through the film. Bergman was always a master of letting her eyes do the talking, and we can see her heart break as she realizes she cannot continue to be anything less than everything to Roger.
What really impressed me in this film is the work by Perkins. In ‘Psycho’ he proved he is a formidable actor, however here he is simply adorable. We fall more and more in love with him as he sacrifices everything for the very confused Paula. Perkins is full of energy and his performance keeps the film from becoming a melodrama.
This film is a delicious treat as it romanticizes the middle aged woman unlike most films of the era. It is feminist in the portrayal of Paula as well as the fraility of the men in her life. This is truly a film about equality and the sacrifices our society demands of us.
Grade: A-
