So Little Time (film)
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''So Little Time'' is a 1952 British
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
romantic
drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...
directed by
Compton Bennett Herbert William Compton Bennett (15 January 1900 – 11 August 1974), better known as Compton Bennett, was an England, English film director, writer and producer. He is perhaps best known for directing the 1945 film ''The Seventh Veil'' and the ...
and starring
Marius Goring Marius Re Goring, (23 May 191230 September 1998) was a British stage and screen actor. He is best remembered for the four films he made with Powell & Pressburger, particularly as Conductor 71 in '' A Matter of Life and Death'' and as Julian Cr ...
,
Maria Schell Maria Margarethe Anna Schell (15 January 1926 – 26 April 2005) was an Austrian-Swiss actress. She was one of the leading stars of German cinema in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1954, she was awarded the Cannes Best Actress Award for her performance ...
and
Lucie Mannheim Lucie Mannheim (30 April 1899 – 17 July 1976) was a German singer and actress. Life and career Mannheim was born in Köpenick, Berlin, where she studied drama and quickly became a popular figure appearing on stage in plays and musicals. Among ...
. The film is based on the novel ''Je ne suis pas une héroïne'' by French author Noëlle Henry. ''So Little Time'' is unusual for its time in portraying its German characters in a mainly sympathetic manner, while the Belgian Resistance characters are depicted in an aggressive, almost gangster-type light. So soon after the war, this was not a narrative viewpoint British audiences and critics expected in a British film and there was considerable protest about the film's content.
Marius Goring Marius Re Goring, (23 May 191230 September 1998) was a British stage and screen actor. He is best remembered for the four films he made with Powell & Pressburger, particularly as Conductor 71 in '' A Matter of Life and Death'' and as Julian Cr ...
considered it as one of his favourite films and was a rare romantic leading role for him, though one of several films in which he played a German officer. The film was made at
Elstree Studios Elstree Studios is a generic term which can refer to several current and demolished British film studios and television studios based in or around the town of Borehamwood and village of Elstree in Hertfordshire, England. Production studios ha ...
with sets designed by
Edward Carrick Edward Carrick (born Edward Anthony Craig; 3 January 1905 – 21 January 1998) was an English art designer for film, an author and illustrator. Carrick was born in London. His father was Edward Gordon Craig, the theatre practitioner and stage d ...
. Location shooting was done over twenty days in Belgium and the Château de Sterrebeek at
Zoutleeuw Zoutleeuw (; french: Léau ) is a municipality and city in the Hageland, in the extreme east of the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. On 1 January 2018 the municipality had 8,498 inhabitants. The total area is 46.73 km2, giving a populatio ...
(Léau) near Brussels was used as the Château de Malvines. Filmed during 1951, it was released in March 1952.


Plot

In occupied
Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
during World War II, the chateau where Nicole de Malvines (
Maria Schell Maria Margarethe Anna Schell (15 January 1926 – 26 April 2005) was an Austrian-Swiss actress. She was one of the leading stars of German cinema in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1954, she was awarded the Cannes Best Actress Award for her performance ...
) lives with her mother (
Gabrielle Dorziat Gabrielle Dorziat (1880–1979) was a French stage and film actress. Dorziat was a fashion trend setter in Paris and helped popularize the designs of Coco Chanel. The Théâtre Gabrielle-Dorziat in Épernay, France is named for her. Biography S ...
) is partially requisitioned for use by German forces. Among those billeted there is Colonel Günther von Hohensee (
Marius Goring Marius Re Goring, (23 May 191230 September 1998) was a British stage and screen actor. He is best remembered for the four films he made with Powell & Pressburger, particularly as Conductor 71 in '' A Matter of Life and Death'' and as Julian Cr ...
), a ruthlessly efficient Prussian officer. Having lost several male members of her family in the war, the proud and outspoken Nicole holds the Germans in contempt and has no hesitation in making her feelings clear to him. Nicole and von Hohensee discover a mutual love of music, particularly the piano, and Günther starts to coach her. This gradually brings them together and, despite their differences, and the inherent danger of the situation to both, they fall in love. They travel to Brussels to attend the opera, acutely aware of the need to be discreet and the risks involved in being seen socialising with one another. Matters become more complicated when members of the Belgian Resistance, led by her cousin Phillipe de Malvines ( John Bailey), target Nicole to steal documentation from von Hohensee to pass over to them, making clear that non-cooperation is not an option. The couple realise that, in one way or another, the relationship is doomed. A sympathetic observer who has noticed their love, his former lover, the opera singer Lotte Schönberg (
Lucie Mannheim Lucie Mannheim (30 April 1899 – 17 July 1976) was a German singer and actress. Life and career Mannheim was born in Köpenick, Berlin, where she studied drama and quickly became a popular figure appearing on stage in plays and musicals. Among ...
), urges Günther to tell Nicole that he loves her and to make the most of it while they can, because there is "so little time". Günther readily admits that he loves Nicole and believes that she loves him too but refuses to tell her as he feels that there is too much to prevent any future for them. He tells Lotte that he has applied for a transfer back to frontline duties. Matters come to a head after Günther tries to push Nicole away by humiliating one of her friends, Gerard. They argue furiously and are estranged for a few days but, when Nicole learns he is to leave soon, she confronts him one night and begs him not to go. He can no longer resist her and they declare their love for each other. Inevitably, they are betrayed and have to face being parted forever. Günther discovers that Nicole has stolen documents from his desk and confronts her after she returns from delivering them to her cousin, Phillipe. Nicole is shot by mistake by her cousin while he is trying to kill von Hohensee and dies in Günther's arms. Unable to reconcile himself to the situation, and knowing that he will be arrested by the
Gestapo The (), abbreviated Gestapo (; ), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe. The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of Prussia into one organi ...
, von Hohensee shoots himself.


Cast

*
Marius Goring Marius Re Goring, (23 May 191230 September 1998) was a British stage and screen actor. He is best remembered for the four films he made with Powell & Pressburger, particularly as Conductor 71 in '' A Matter of Life and Death'' and as Julian Cr ...
as Colonel Günther von Hohensee *
Maria Schell Maria Margarethe Anna Schell (15 January 1926 – 26 April 2005) was an Austrian-Swiss actress. She was one of the leading stars of German cinema in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1954, she was awarded the Cannes Best Actress Award for her performance ...
as Nicole de Malvines *
Lucie Mannheim Lucie Mannheim (30 April 1899 – 17 July 1976) was a German singer and actress. Life and career Mannheim was born in Köpenick, Berlin, where she studied drama and quickly became a popular figure appearing on stage in plays and musicals. Among ...
as Lotte Schönberg *
Gabrielle Dorziat Gabrielle Dorziat (1880–1979) was a French stage and film actress. Dorziat was a fashion trend setter in Paris and helped popularize the designs of Coco Chanel. The Théâtre Gabrielle-Dorziat in Épernay, France is named for her. Biography S ...
as Mme. de Malvines *
Barbara Mullen Barbara Mullen (9 June 19149 March 1979) was an American born actress well known in the UK for playing the part of Janet McPherson, the housekeeper in ''Dr. Finlay's Casebook''. Although the role of Janet brought her fame in later years, she alre ...
as Anna * John Bailey as Phillipe de Malvines *
David Hurst David Hurst (born Heinrich Theodor Hirsch; 8 May 1926 – 15 September 2019) was a German actor, best known for his role in the film ''Hello Dolly! (film), Hello, Dolly'' as Rudolph the headwaiter. Biography Early life and career Hurst grew ...
as Blumel *
Oscar Quitak Oscar Morris Quitak (born 10 March 1926) is a British stage, film and television actor. Quitak's stage work includes roles at the Old Vic and the National Theatre; as well as the original West End and Broadway productions of the musical '' Pi ...
as Gerard *
Andrée Melly Andrée Melly (15 September 1932 – 31 January 2020) was an English actress. Career Born in Liverpool, Lancashire, she performed at the Old Vic in ''Romeo and Juliet'', ''The Merchant of Venice'' and T.S. Eliot’s '' Murder in the Cathedral ...
as Paulette * Stanley van Beers as Professor Perronet *
Olga Lowe Olga Lowe (14 September 1919 – 2 September 2013) was a British film, stage and television actress. She made her film debut in an uncredited role in the 1949 film ''Trottie True''. Described by ''The Stage'' as "an actress of extraordinary versat ...
as Florine *
Harold Lang Harold Lang (December 21, 1920 – July 26, 1985) was an American dancer, singer and actor. Life and career Lang began his professional career as a ballet dancer, making his professional debut with the San Francisco Ballet in 1938 and then goi ...
as Lt. Seger * Alison Peline as Vivianne *
Jeremy Geidt Charles Jeremy Wollaston Geidt (25 February 1930 – 6 August 2013) was a British-born American stage actor, comedian and acting coach. He was a Professor of Acting at Yale University, and later at Harvard University, being a founding member of b ...
as Gilles *
Arthur Mullard Arthur Ernest Mullard (né Mullord; 19 September 1910His obituary in ''The Times'' gives his date of birth as 10 November 1910 but conflicts with the birthdate given in his death registration. His year of birth appears as 1908, 1910, 1912 and 1 ...
as Driver * Wolf Frees as German Doctor


Production

The film was going to be directed by
Max Ophuls Max or MAX may refer to: Animals * Max (dog) (1983–2013), at one time purported to be the world's oldest living dog * Max (English Springer Spaniel), the first pet dog to win the PDSA Order of Merit (animal equivalent of OBE) * Max (gorilla) ...
and was set in France. French authorities complained so the action was relocated to Belgium. Compton Bennett had recently returned from a stint working in
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...
.
Location shooting Location shooting is the shooting of a film or television production in a real-world setting rather than a sound stage or backlot. The location may be interior or exterior. The filming location may be the same in which the story is set (for exam ...
took place around
Zoutleeuw Zoutleeuw (; french: Léau ) is a municipality and city in the Hageland, in the extreme east of the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. On 1 January 2018 the municipality had 8,498 inhabitants. The total area is 46.73 km2, giving a populatio ...
in
Brabant Brabant is a traditional geographical region (or regions) in the Low Countries of Europe. It may refer to: Place names in Europe * London-Brabant Massif, a geological structure stretching from England to northern Germany Belgium * Province of Bra ...
. The film's sets were designed by the
art director Art director is the title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, film industry, film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supervise and ...
Edward Carrick Edward Carrick (born Edward Anthony Craig; 3 January 1905 – 21 January 1998) was an English art designer for film, an author and illustrator. Carrick was born in London. His father was Edward Gordon Craig, the theatre practitioner and stage d ...
.


Music

The film used several piano pieces played by classical pianist
Shura Cherkassky Shura Cherkassky (russian: Александр (Шура) Исаакович Черкасский; 7 October 190927 December 1995) was a Ukrainian-American concert pianist known for his performances of the romanticism, romantic repertoire. His p ...
. These include the Piano Sonata in B minor by
Franz Liszt Franz Liszt, in modern usage ''Liszt Ferenc'' . Liszt's Hungarian passport spelled his given name as "Ferencz". An orthographic reform of the Hungarian language in 1922 (which was 36 years after Liszt's death) changed the letter "cz" to simpl ...
, which is used as the main theme music and the piece that von Hohensee first starts coaching Nicole in, and Piano Études by
Frédéric Chopin Frédéric François Chopin (born Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin; 1 March 181017 October 1849) was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic period, who wrote primarily for solo piano. He has maintained worldwide renown as a leadin ...
. The aria ''Voi che sapete che cosa è amor'' or ''Sagt holde Frauen die ihr sie kennt'' from the opera ''
The Marriage of Figaro ''The Marriage of Figaro'' ( it, Le nozze di Figaro, links=no, ), K. 492, is a ''commedia per musica'' (opera buffa) in four acts composed in 1786 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with an Italian libretto written by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It premie ...
'' by
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...
also features prominently in the film, being sung in German, both by von Hohensee as he accompanies himself on piano, and in the performance which von Hohensee takes Nicole to see in Brussels. Marius Goring is seen playing the piano throughout the film - it is actually him playing as he was a skilled amateur pianist.


Reception

Unfortunately, the subject matter of the film was not to the taste of the British public when it was released in April 1952, and there was some controversy about its subject matter, particularly portraying a German officer so sympathetically. Marius Goring was philosophical about it: “''A touching little film,''” said Goring later, “''my favourite apart from the Powell films. It was too soon after the war and people thought every German was a horror...its timing was wrong''.” Reviews by critics were generally positive:
The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
described it as “''a modest, a sensitive, a touching little film''”. While describing the plot as “''stuff and nonsense''” it however goes on to say: “''But Miss Schell - and Mr Goring greatly helps with his firm drawing of the colonel - puts a spell upon the stuff and the nonsense, making it dissolve and setting in its place a glowing portrait of a very young and heart-breakingly defenceless girl utterly in love''.” C.A. Lejeune in
The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the w ...
commented that it “''...gives a sentimental treatment where sentiment may seem out of place, but once we have accepted that, there is much left in the film to appreciate. Pictorially, it is almost always a delight; in particular, I liked the recurring shots of the neat white chateau, reflected in its lake so that the whole thing looked like a double doll's-house. Mr Goring plays a difficult part with great integrity and just the right mixture of tenderness and chill. Miss Schell is adorable, with her heart-shaped face and wings of dark hair; her quaint way of sitting, looking down and sideways with the head a little tilted, her trick of speaking softly on the middle of an outgoing breath. I thought her very touching, and altogether sweet''.” The review by Marjory Adam in
The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
said: “'' 'So Little Time' is sentimentally appealing but it has emotional heights as well. Nicole's sacrifice to save her lover whom she has betrayed to her countrymen rises to almost unbearable intensity as the terrified girl runs sobbing to stop his car. As for Goring, he is excellent as the haughty Prussian whose heart is torn between duty and devotion to the Belgian girl. Miss Schell and Goring display sensitivity and skill in delineating the love which is so tender in a rough and wicked world of war and death. Here is a film which was made for lovers''.”


Home media

''So Little Time'' was released commercially on DVD in November 2015. A dubbed German-language version under the title ''Wenn das Herz spricht'' (''When the Heart Speaks'') was released to the German market in 2005.


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:So Little Time 1952 films 1952 romantic drama films British romantic drama films British war drama films Films directed by Compton Bennett British World War II films Films set in Belgium British black-and-white films Belgium in fiction Films shot at Associated British Studios Films based on French novels 1950s war drama films 1950s English-language films 1950s British films