Return from the Ashes
Directed by J. Lee Thompson
Written by Julius J. Epstein from a novel by Hubert Monteilhet
1965/UK/USA
Orchard Productions/The Mirisch Corporation
First viewing/Amazon Instant
[box] Stanislaus Pilgrin: If there is no God, no devil, no heaven, no hell, and no immortality, then anything is permissible.[/box]
“Diabolique” wannabe doesn’t quite cut it but does offer a few thrills.
The story starts in Paris just prior to the outbreak of WWII. Polish chess master Stanislaus Pilgrin (Maximilian Schell) is thoroughly amoral. Despite this and her sense that he may be incapable of love, he gains the love of beautiful rich Jewish doctor Michele “Mischa” Wolf (Indrid Thulin). When war is declared Stanislaus breaks down and marries Mischa. She is later hauled off to Dachau and is assumed dead after her failure to return for several years after the end of the war. Stanislaus begins an affair with Mischa’s unstable young stepdaughter Fabi (Samantha Eggar).
Mischa does eventually return to Paris but assumes another name and hairstyle. She does not want to reveal herself to Stanislaus until she has regained her former beauty. However, Fabi spots her unexpectedly and notes the resemblance to her stepmother. This launches a plot to persuade the woman to impersonate Mischa so that the three can claim Mischa’s huge inheritance. Eventually Mischa admits to her real identity and then things get really complicated … With Herbert Lom as Mischa’s friend.
Before I watched this I thought the story might stress the Holocaust elements but no. It is played strictly for suspense and thrills. Schell and Eiger are admirably evil and Thulin suitably touching. The problem is the script could have been considerably tightened. The story drags such that I found the pay-off to be strangely anti-climactic. Your mileage may vary.
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