The Private Affairs of Bel Ami (1947)

Excellent, a Must See

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

I have always liked George Sanders, so I was quite interested in seeing this film. Well, I waded through it, and I was ultimately glad I did, but it isn't a film I would like to watch again. I found it VERY slow.Sanders' character is described by one of the other characters as an "unmitigated cad", and that sums it up pretty well. He constantly plays women as if they are chess pieces to help him rise into the society in which he wants to live. One by one he drops the women. And in the end, the theft of a title (name) is his downfall. Only then does he really know whom he really loved.George Sanders seemed a little bit too laid back in this film, at least to me. As I said earlier, I really like Sanders, but this is not one of his best performances. On the other hand, this is an interesting performance by Angela Lansbury, as one of the women he wrongs. I'm sort of used to seeing her as a very strong willed character, and here she is quite subtle in her performance; I really liked it. Ann Dvorak is excellent here. Warren William, very ill when this film was made, was not that good here. I was particularly interested to see Albert Bassermann. Basserman was interesting in Alfred Hitchcock's "Foreign Correspondent", and I've always enjoyed seeing him since seeing that flick. Basserman was a German actor, but I always found him interesting on screen. Marie Wilson -- better known as "My Friend Irma" seemed very out of place in this film.I'm glad I watched this film...but I won't be watching it a second time. If you're a real fan of George Sanders of Angela Lansbury, you might enjoy this. If not...well, I see many of our other reviewers liked this film very much. You'll have to decide.

Finding the 2012 version of Bel Ami to be an interesting film,I took a look for other adaptations,and found one starring George Sanders. With my dad being a fan of Sanders,and Father's Day coming up,I decided to make Bel Ami's private affairs public.The plot-Paris 1880:Working at a low-paying job, Georges Duroy is thrilled to run into his old wartime friend Charles Forestier. Going for a meal,Duroy catches the eye of a lady called Rachel. Aware of his pal wanting to climb up the social ladder,Forestier advising Duroy that the best way to do that is to use his charm on women. Finding it easy to wrap the ladies round his little finger,Duroy begins only letting people know him at a skin-deep level.View on the film:Scrolling into the heart of every woman, George Sanders gives a delicious performance as Duroy,with Sanders laying out his devilish cad charms that embrace any woman who takes Duroy's fancy. Whilst he does pour out the charisma,Sanders subtly shows Duroy use it as a method to stay detached,as Duroy freezes any attempted made by others to form an emotional relationship with him. Joined by auteur film maker Hugo Hass as Monsieur Walter and Albert Bassermann giving the title some real upper crust class as Jacques Rival, Angela Lansbury gives a wonderful performance as Marelle,who views the lack of commitment from Duroy into the relationship in a widowed state.Reuniting with Sanders for the third and final time,auteur writer/director Albert Lewin & cinematographer Russell "Touch of Evil" Metty turn the streets of Paris into a ultra-stylised Art Deco paradise,where the luxury shops and mansions of Duroy are surrounded in Art Deco shade. Bringing Max Ernst and Salvador Dalí (whose work was sadly cut from the film) in to give a startling splash of colour,Lewin rains down deep focus shadows for a Melodrama final which eyes the affairs of Duroy.Needing to change the end for the Hays Code,the screenplay by Lewin (who made the film independent of the studios) fires a double sided ending where the Code get their morals,and the viewer gets a bullet of Film Noir pessimism. Loosely adapting Guy de Maupassant's book,Lewin brilliantly continues exploring his major theme of self- centred individuals whose self-imposed isolation causes their own destruction.Never allowing the viewer to get too close to Duroy,Lewin expresses in intelligently written dialogue the façade mask that Duroy makes,as the private affairs of Bel Ami are opened.

In the 1880's, a handsome rake schemes his way to the top of French society leaving a trail of exploited women in his wake.I was about to slam Sanders' performance as a wooden one-note. Note how in the many close-ups his expression rarely changes, conveying little or no emotion, regardless the situation. Then it occurred to me. That's exactly right for such a heartless egotist as Duroy. In fact, he feels no emotion. Instead he's a walking calculator in the way he uses people. In place of warmth or animated charm, he seduces women with a strongly masculine presence and complete self-assurance, which Sanders conveys, in spades. Note too, how in the dueling scene, Duroy looks on impassively while his opponent musters strength to shoot him. Now a lack of emotion while staring death in the face is either evidence of an iron will or a simple lack of feeling. Of course, as an actor, Sanders can emote subtly or otherwise when called upon, as his lengthy career shows. So I figure his impassive manner in this movie is intended to define Duroy's character, and is not a deficiency on either the actor's or director's part.Anyway, the movie itself amounts to a triumph of parlor room refinement. I especially like Lansbury. Her baby-face Clotilde provides enough meaningful emotion to engage the audience in ways that Duroy does not. In fact, the actresses, including a poignant Marie Wilson, are all well cast. Still, pairing the 40-year old Sanders with a girlish Douglas, half his age, amounts to a real stretch. But catch some of those parlor room sets that are doozies. The one with the checkered floor and striped wall had me cleaning my glasses. Overall, it's an oddly affecting morality play, with a style and taste that make even the painted backdrops somehow appropriate. Too bad this was the great Warren William's (Laroche) last movie. In terms of a commanding presence, he and Sanders belong together, as William's pre-Code films abundantly show. Nonetheless, this is one of the few features of the time to make a thoroughly dislikable character the central figure. And that took some guts. No wonder the film was an independent production.

Virtually the same story as the same star's later and contemporary DEATH OF A SCOUNDREL, THE PRIVATE AFFAIRS OF BEL AMI sees George Sanders on fine caddish form as a swine who works his way through a series of unfortunate women in 19th century France.The story is well staged by Albert Lewin, who wrings plenty of melodrama out of the events, and of course there's a great performance by George Sanders - one of the original "guys you love to hate" - as the titular bad guy. He's also given decent support by Angela Lansbury (who'd suppose she was ever young?) and John Carradine, playing outside of B-movies for once.The story is well paced and has a decent script, based on a story by ace writer Guy de Maupassant. It has inevitably dated in the years since release, lacking the moments of high drama that you'd expect from the premise, but it makes up for it with the dramatic stand-off at the climax.