Here I go writing about one of my favorite classic movies. I watched it again recently. The Ghost and Mrs. Muir stars Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison. The setting is 1900 in England. Lucy Muir is a young widow with a little daughter. She has been living with her in-laws for a year since her husband died. She makes the decision to set out on her own. She has a small income from her husband’s estate.
This was very daring for a woman in 1900 to want to live on her own. That’s what I really like about this character. She has a lot of spunk. She wants to live by the sea and finds a little cottage that has a very low rent.
The only problem with the cottage is that it is haunted by a sea-captain, Daniel Gregg, played by Rex Harrison. He is in the habit of scaring all prospective tenants in order to get them to leave him in peace.
The story is about the relationship that develops between The Ghost and Lucy. They can’t have a physical relationship but they do end up caring about each other. I don’t want to give the whole story away. I hate that when I read a review and it tells me the whole story before I see the film. I like to be surprised.
There is a commentary on the DVD that discusses more nuances of the film. It is in black and white. The cinematography, by Charles Lang, was nominated for an Oscar. There are special effects done with light that help set the tone and add to the mood. The musical score is by Bernard Herrmann. His music is very evocative of the ocean in its various moods. The view of the ocean waves hitting the shore are used during the film to suggest the emotional tone and the passage of time.
Bernard Herrmann was an American composer who worked on many films. He did scores for several Alfred Hitchcock films. His music is a great example of how the music is almost like another character in the film.
You may have guessed I like films about strong women. I like mystery and romance. This film has all three.
|Nano Poblano| among other things.