THE BRIDGE OF SAN LUIS REY (1944)

This film is based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Thornton Wilder. I've never read it, but every description I've run across implies that the central event of the narrative is the tragic collapse of a rope bridge high up in the Peruvian Andes in 1700s, after which a friar named Brother Juniper spends years digging into the lives of the five people who died in the collapse. This film begins with this incident which occurs just after Brother Juniper has told a native that, despite human suffering, God is everywhere. Unfortunately, after this interesting opening, the film is not particularly effective in following individual characters to a point of destiny. In fact, it's not clear who among the characters introduced will be the five on the bridge; that may be the intent of the filmmakers as a way to keep us in suspense, but it leads to a turgid, run-of-the-mill melodrama. Set in Lima, the main character is Michaela Villegas (Lynn Bari), a singer and aspiring actress who is discovered by the kindly Uncle Pio (Akim Tamiroff) who becomes a mentor and father-figure to her. She is in love with a sailor named Manuel (Francis Lederer) who is frequently gone for months. His twin brother Esteban (also Lederer) seems to have a supernatural connection to Manuel, able to sense when he will show up in town; thinking that Michaela is no good for Manuel, Esteban interferes in their romance to the point where he feels morbidly guilty about it and tries to kill himself, though his brother intercedes just in time. 

In the meantime, Michaela has come to the attention of the local Viceroy (Louis Calhern) and soon becomes a regular visitor at court. She is mocked by many, but the Marquesa (Alla Nazimova) seems to be her friend; little does Michaela know that the Marquesa is actually scheming to make her own young companion a court favorite. (Clearly, these women are in the running to be the Viceroy's mistress, but that point is blurred over the movie.) The thickly-plotted story continues until everyone is on the road to San Luis Rey and the bridge collapse claims the lives of four of them--the fifth is a lowly local peasant. At nearly two hours, this is far too long and boring to hold much interest. None of the characters are especially interesting or likable except perhaps for Brother Juniper and Uncle Pio. In the book, the theological trappings may be more obvious, but here they are buried beneath the romances and squabbles between the characters. Lynn Bari is not up to the task of playing a multi-dimensional character--based on a real person, apparently; Lederer is OK in a dual role, though I never saw Manuel's charm. Calhern is fine as the Viceroy, Donald Woods as Brother Juniper (pictured) is quite good in what amounts to a limited role, and it's fun to see the legendary silent star Nazimova chew a little scenery now and then. I really had to struggle to stick with this, but it did whet my appetite to read the novel. [DVD]