Review of These Three (1936) by Nikolai E — 25 May 2009
While I watched this, I toyed with mentally re-inserting the lesbian angle that I knew had been excised by studio rules, but the film finds a way to work quite well without it, and although the ending is much less grim than the original play's, it neatly avoids feeling shallow and tacked-on.
I can't say if they would have been better off sticking to the theatrical script, but the film is more about the overall destructive power of social stigma, rather than any particular target of scorn.
A particularly well-acted and well-made film for its time, it's intelligently constructed with very natural performances all around. The detail of the plotting is commendable; Whereas a lesser film might have simply rushed straight to the melodrama, here every action is carefully set-up and justified so that nothing seems left to chance.
It's a bit of a downer, since the film basically just endears us to three likable people and then sets out to completely destroy them, but check it out if you can get it.
This review of These Three (1936) was written by Nikolai E on 25 May 2009.
These Three has generally received positive reviews.
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