This version of "Enchanted April" isn't as ethereal or delightful as the 1992 version, but it does has a certain charm. Mainly conceived as a vehicle for Ann Harding (who was a big star in the mid-thirties, but not well-remembered today), the pacing is somewhat slow and almost appears to be a filmed stage play. We don't "see" and "feel" the changes everyone undergoes as a result of staying in the Italian villa (as we do in the remake), but Ann Harding does her best to get that point across. She is ethereal and pretty, and her "hothouse flower" talent would seem well-suited to the part. It's interesting to compare the two versions and see how the 1992 version managed to successfully capture the flavor of the period without sacrificing anything to a modern movie-going audience's baser expectations for entertainment. See both versions!
Review of Enchanted April
