NekoHomey Purely Joyful Movie!

pointyfilippa The movie runs out of plot and jokes well before the end of a two-hour running time, long for a light comedy.

Married Baby Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?

Ginger Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Eleanor Knowles Dugan The costuming for this film must bring a smile to the face of anyone familiar with fashions of the 17th century. The film's action occurs in 1660, but Fairbanks and his colleagues wear jerkins fitted to the waist, stylish about 1620-1630, but apparently considered more dashing than the loose smocks and petticoat breeches of 1660. Then Maria Montez arrives, wearing a gown clearly from the 1880 Wild West costume rack in the Wardrobe Department. To atone, her second frock is only a century out of kilter, something from about 1750. I found the sound-stage exteriors very claustrophobic and phony, and I noted only 3 instances when I felt the "Ophüls touch," for example when the shutter blew open and closed, alternately revealing and concealing the lovers as they approach their first kiss. I'm also puzzled why Max Ophüls is listed as "Opuls" in the credits, but perhaps that is a phonetic rendering to eliminate the umlaut?

dbdumonteil It was the second time Ophüls had broached an historical subject .In France 1939, he filmed the tragic love story of Franz Ferdinand and Countess Sophie Chotek ,of course a misalliance,hence a Morganatic marriage.As it did not happen as Charles Stuart was concerned ,the lovers are left with memories ("I'll visit you in your dreams").If it weren't for the last minutes ,the film would not be a real Max Ophüls (spelled "Opuls") movie.The last third is a bit Curtizesque ,Douglas Faibanks Jr recalling Erroll Flynn.This is certainly a good film ,but it cannot be included in the director's best works such as "Liebelei" "La Signora Di Tutti" "Letters from an unknown woman" or "Madame De" .This is fictionalized history -whereas "De Mayerling A Sarajevo" depicted real events- where the round heads (the Puritans) ,dressed in black nicely play the parts of the villains against a noble hero dressed in white .There are good lines ;I particularly like this one "If I ever come home,I shall belong to no party" .Another good moment: "He lives in luxury and idleness" say the Puritans (a picture shows the "farm worker" plowing;"He must be ready to kill" (the man and his girl see the new-born chicks ) Maria Montez is the "star" of the film but her appearance does not exceed ten/fifteen minutes .It's Holland as we imagine it: windmills (with an impressive duel ),tulips ,canals,fair-haired girls ...

bkoganbing When Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. started his career in silent screen he did not go for the swashbuckling roles that his famous father did. My guess is he wanted to be judged on his own as a player. In fact it was his mother who when Fairbanks, Sr. was slow with the child support who got him into film in the first place, hoping to capitalize on the name. Later as he got older and was established in his own right, Fairbanks made claim to the legacy of his father in such films as The Exile.In fact Fairbanks both wrote the screenplay and produced this film and got European director Max Ophuls for the piloting. He plays a most famous exile, Charles Stuart, Charles II of Great Britain who is exiled in the Netherlands and poised to reclaim his own in 1660.The story is based on a historical novel by British writer Cosmo Hamilton and it tells of that brief interregnum in British history between the sudden death of Oliver Cromwell and the restoration of Charles II. Charles Stuart had narrowly escaped from his country after the Puritan takeover and was living in exile in somewhat humble circumstances wherever in Europe he could find shelter. In 1660 it was the Netherlands.Historians have debated long about the collapse of the military dictatorship of Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell. He had things pretty much his own way and when he died his son Richard wasn't up to the job he inherited. It was a close run thing that the United Kingdom did not break apart into civil war again at this time.By 1660 just about everybody except the most committed of Puritans felt that only a Stuart Restoration would keep the country united. But some of those most committed Puritans had a big vested interest in seeing that the Restoration did not occur. Therein lies the tale of this film.Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. is a perfect Charles Stuart, in fact he looks quite a bit like him. As in real life sharing his exile is Lord Clarendon who is played here by Nigel Bruce. When Charles reclaimed his throne, Lord Clarendon became his first minister. In the film as in life Clarendon was constantly reminding him of his duty and not to spend all his time on frivolity and chasing skirts. In real life after the action of this film, Charles got rid of Clarendon, but with a decent pension for loyalty and services rendered.As petitions come from various folks over in Great Britain to resume the monarchy, Charles plays coy all the time dodging Puritan agents. Several have come to the town where he's staying and Charles has a bit of sport with them by just pretending he's a penniless exile. He even takes a job as a laborer on Paula Corday's farm. He even falls for her as he did with MANY women.But a most cunning and ruthless Puritan in the person of Henry Daniell arrives to take over the hunt and kill the king before he can set sail back to his realm. This is one of Daniell's finest performances on screen, you can believe he's one cold and merciless killer and a true believer in the Puritan Revolution. Fairbanks and Daniell have a duel in a Dutch mill that's the equal of the one Errol Flynn and Basil Rathbone had in Robin Hood.As per her contract Maria Montez got top billing as a French countess who finds Charles Stuart as a farm hand and delivers a message of support from his cousin Louis XIV of France. Robert Coote has a very funny part as an unemployed actor who is passing himself off as Charles Stuart and who the Puritans nearly kill for such a good performance. Fairbanks uses Coote to his own end to further his deception, but steps in when Daniell's about to run him through.The Exile is one of Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.'s finest films and he really does the part in a way that would have made Dad proud.

princehal This is probably the least appreciated of the series of masterpieces Max Ophüls made in his too-short stay in Hollywood. Superficially it is a fairly silly, light-hearted historical romp, and it is enjoyable enough on that level. But this only throws into sharper relief the expressive mastery of Ophüls' style - by the end of the movie a single elegant camera move is enough to turn the mood to high tragedy. This is sublime filmmaking.