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By
SCOTT D. O'REILLY
Dreams are poetry, wrote a
French anthropologist. Cinema is that medium in
which we can view dreams while awake. "The Ghost
and Mrs. Muir" is the rarest of films, one which
reveals that while our deepest human aspirations
may be spun from the stuff of dreams, such dreams
reveal our hidden depths, contain our creative
spirit, and express our desire to transcend our
bounded selves.
"The Ghost and Mrs. Muir," like all true art, is a
perfect fusion of fantasy and reality. Lucy Muir,
as portrayed by the luminous Gene Tierney, is one
of cinemas' most enchanting characters. Ordinary
in manner she radiates an exotic beauty at once
ethereal and down to earth. An independent spirit
who longs to transcend the stifling conventions of
Victorian England, Mrs. Muir never quite manages
to find what she is longing for within the
confines of her social milieu. Her relationship
with her daughter and her maid are enduring, but
true love eludes her. Only with the spirit of a
seaman named captain Greg who haunts her cottage
does Lucy find true companionship. In the person
of Rex Harrison, captain Greg is at once blustery
and tender. Harrison's performance embodies virile
masculinity, humor, and compassion. He is, in
short, Lucy's ideal man. Too bad he is only a
ghost, a figment of her imagination, a dream. But
he helps her write her book, he sustains her
spirit, and encourages her growth in ways no one
else can. He is, of course, a jealous ghost, and
when Lucy finds a flesh and blood man in the
person of Miles Fairley, played by George Sanders,
he departs. Sanders, with his mellifluous baritone
and smarmy charm is tailor-made to play the
debonair cad that sweeps Lucy off her feet only to
leave her in the lurch.
The entire cast is superlative, but the chemistry
between Tierney and Harrison is something
heavenly. Every aspect of this film is deeply
fulfilling, from Charles Lang's breathtaking
cinematography (Oscar nominated) to Bernard
Herman's haunting score. Fox has included a wealth
of bonus materials that make this DVD an even
better way to experience this wonderful movie.
There are two informative film commentaries, six
theatrical trailers (which include the trailer for
"The Ghost and Mrs. Muir), a forty-five minute
documentary on the life of Rex Harrison, and
numerous production stills, photos, lobby cards,
and posters. The film print itself is pristine and
nearly flawless, displaying superb contrast in
rich detail. Fox provides two soundtracks: a Dolby
stereo mix that brings out the depth and detail of
Herman's beautiful score, or the original mono
soundtrack.
Nearly every one of the cast and principal
filmmakers who brought this film to life has
passed on (with the exception of the beautiful
Anna Lee). But the art they created transcends
them. This is a film about love's power to survive
death. Perhaps only in Hollywood could such dreams
come true. But to watch this magnificent film is
to understand what Shakespeare meant when he said
that all authentic power derives from dreams. |
