Fire Over England (1937)
In the opening scene of Fire Over England, we see Scarlett O’Hara picking up her ball gown and trotting down the hall. Her face isn’t visible, but Vivien Leigh’s run is exactly the same as it was in Gone with the Wind. Her patter of speaking is exactly the same as it was in Gone with the Wind. Her pouty expressions and sass is exactly the same—it’s as if someone knew her limited acting capability and decided to write Gone with the Wind for her. She plays a lady in waiting to Queen Elizabeth, and she repeatedly fumbles her duties, including losing the queen’s possessions, daydreaming about her boyfriend, and talking back to the queen. Thankfully, Flora Robson—who plays a very believable Queen Elizabeth—slaps her face so the audience doesn’t have to.
With a very large supporting cast, including Laurence Olivier, Leslie Banks, Raymond Massey, Tamara Desni, Morton Selten, and five minutes each of James Mason and Robert Newton, Fire Over England should have been a successful epic. The costumes are beautiful and Flora is hard, regal, and strong, but somehow the movie falls short. Vivien and Larry play sweethearts, but they have absolutely zero chemistry together; during one of their kisses, it actually looks like she’s trying to push him away. Vivien’s lack of acting makes you wish she’d been given a smaller part. She wouldn’t even be good if she was in a community theater production.
My favorite part of the film was the chemistry between Flora and Leslie. There are obvious sparks between them, but since she’s the queen and he’s her advisor, they don’t have the freedom to act like moony-eyed teenagers. Instead, there’s an undercurrent of understanding, respect, and attraction lying beneath every line of dialogue. I’ve seen Leslie Banks in a few Laurence Olivier movies, and every time I see him, I appreciate his performances more and more.
Want to watch it? Click here to watch it on ok.ru. And thanks "Juhi Thaker" for posting!
More James Mason movies here!
More Robert Newton movies here!
With a very large supporting cast, including Laurence Olivier, Leslie Banks, Raymond Massey, Tamara Desni, Morton Selten, and five minutes each of James Mason and Robert Newton, Fire Over England should have been a successful epic. The costumes are beautiful and Flora is hard, regal, and strong, but somehow the movie falls short. Vivien and Larry play sweethearts, but they have absolutely zero chemistry together; during one of their kisses, it actually looks like she’s trying to push him away. Vivien’s lack of acting makes you wish she’d been given a smaller part. She wouldn’t even be good if she was in a community theater production.
My favorite part of the film was the chemistry between Flora and Leslie. There are obvious sparks between them, but since she’s the queen and he’s her advisor, they don’t have the freedom to act like moony-eyed teenagers. Instead, there’s an undercurrent of understanding, respect, and attraction lying beneath every line of dialogue. I’ve seen Leslie Banks in a few Laurence Olivier movies, and every time I see him, I appreciate his performances more and more.
Want to watch it? Click here to watch it on ok.ru. And thanks "Juhi Thaker" for posting!
More James Mason movies here!
More Robert Newton movies here!