"Interlude" completely caught me off guard! Finding this film was a mistake, albeit a very happy mistake. I obtained a copy of this very rare film by sheer accident. I actually had requested a copy of the 1957 Hollywood version directed by melodrama maestro Douglas Sirk. But when this British version arrived I decided to give it a try and I was immediately sucked in by the sheer scope of its romance and truly phenomenal lead stars.
This 1960s version stars Barbara Ferris and Oskar Werner as tortured lovers who must cope with the looming presence of Werner's wife and two young children. Ferris, as the sweet and innocent newspaper reporter, and Werner, as a temperamental and famed conductor, exude an overwrought chemistry and truly make you want to see them together in light of his oblivious family.
Set to a moving theme that rivals that of the famous song from "Love Story", "Interlude" is a rare gem just waiting to be rediscovered. The direction is sensitive and romantic, yet provides moments of unabashed melodrama and scope. One of the movie's most climactic moments is choreographed to a classic piece that Werner is conducting. The ending honestly left me with a lump in my throat, just waiting for more. This is what a romantic drama is supposed to be about.
