Having been made famously as a silent film that won Janet Gaynor the first ever Best Actress Oscar (along with several other films made around the same time), this remake is beautifully remade, but in many ways, appears to have been meant to be silent. The era of World War I Paris is the setting for this romance of two outsiders: a sewer worker (James Stewart) who wants to work above ground, and a cabaret "hostess" (Simone Simon) whose cruel sister (Gale Sondergaard at her most sinister) passes her off to male clients as if she was a pair of old shoes. Tired of her sister's cruelty, Simon longs to get away, and thanks to Stewart who catches Sondergaard beating her, she does, threatening to dump her into the sewer if she doesn't stay away from her sister. Determined to protect the innocent young Simon, Stewart claims to be married to her, and moves her into his apartment building where their romance expands into love. But with the onslaught of World War I and Stewart's sudden draft, that leaves Simon open to the machinations of the vengeful Sondergaard, and tragedy rears its ugly head as Simon gains the strength to stand up for herself and find her own inner heaven.
This has some fantastic moments throughout, from the beautiful but dangerous setting to the sequence where Stewart nearly dumps Sondergaard into the abyss of the Paris underground, to those small romantic moments between Simon and Stewart, and then Simon's response to Sondergaard's return and the tragic situation of Stewart being off at war and believed to be dead. Simon's girlish performance makes her seem weak at first, but even in a dooey eyed doe is a mama lioness in the making, and her roar is unforgettable in a triumphant scene that will have you cheering her on. Jean Hersholt is memorable as a local priest who questions Stewart on his atheism, and Sig Ruman is hilariously piggish as a customer of Sondergaard's who takes his date with Simon too far. Other memorable cast members include Gregory Ratoff as a local rebel, Rafaela Ottiano as a nosy neighbor of Stewart's, and Mady Christians as a motherly woman in Stewart's building who becomes Simon's protector, for as long as she needs one. For all of the silent elements transferred over with the use of dialog, this is still a very memorable melodrama that will leave you touched, right up to the inspiring fadeout.
This has some fantastic moments throughout, from the beautiful but dangerous setting to the sequence where Stewart nearly dumps Sondergaard into the abyss of the Paris underground, to those small romantic moments between Simon and Stewart, and then Simon's response to Sondergaard's return and the tragic situation of Stewart being off at war and believed to be dead. Simon's girlish performance makes her seem weak at first, but even in a dooey eyed doe is a mama lioness in the making, and her roar is unforgettable in a triumphant scene that will have you cheering her on. Jean Hersholt is memorable as a local priest who questions Stewart on his atheism, and Sig Ruman is hilariously piggish as a customer of Sondergaard's who takes his date with Simon too far. Other memorable cast members include Gregory Ratoff as a local rebel, Rafaela Ottiano as a nosy neighbor of Stewart's, and Mady Christians as a motherly woman in Stewart's building who becomes Simon's protector, for as long as she needs one. For all of the silent elements transferred over with the use of dialog, this is still a very memorable melodrama that will leave you touched, right up to the inspiring fadeout.