The Ghost and Mrs. Muir

I saw this movie for the first time when I was sixteen, now almost thirty years have passed and I still cry every time I think about the film. . My favorite image is the deteriorating pier with her daughters name carved into it...what a beautiful and sad way to convey the passing of time.I recently watched it again and the lump in my throat has not passed as of yet.So sad, So beautiful!

Lucy Muir, a widow of one year, decides to start life anew, with daughter and faithful housekeeper, in a cottage by the sea, despite the warnings by the real estate salesman that the house is haunted by the ghost of its former owner, a seaman, Capt. Gregg. After Mrs. Muir encounters the ghost, the two strike an eerie, yet deep relationship, which grows even more when Lucy, forced to earn the money for payment of the cottage, writes a book about the captain's sea encounters. When Lucy sells the manuscript, she meets and falls for a fellow writer, a relationship, which does not sit well with the housekeeper, the daughter, and especially the captain. Will Capt. Gregg have to roam again to find eternal happiness? A beautiful film from all standpoints, with brilliant performances by Tierney and Harrison, who play extremely well off each other with tender, humorous, and bickering encounters, and Sanders, who is as usual, his charming self. A touching and romantic ending set this film off as one of the all time great cinematic love stories. Rating, 9 of 10.

I first saw this movie when I was very young - maybe 9 or so - when my mother rented it. I remember watching it over and over again. When I saw that the DVD had come out I didn't even hesitate; I bought it right away. I'm glad I did.

There are many themes that find their way into this movie: feminism, romance, the supernatural, etc. The one that struck me the most was a longing for something that could never be while maintaining the practical to survive. There is a constant tension between Gene Tierney (Mrs. Muir) and Rex Harrison (Captain Gregg) that is never really satisfied. Words of love are never spoken, not even in the passionate monologue from Rex Harrison. But they are unnecessary because the undercurrents are so strong. Through this tension they work and live normally because what else is there to do? Because of this there is a layer of sad acceptance in the actions of Mrs. Muir and Captain Gregg, which is understandable to all of the audience - this is an emotion that all people are forced to feel at one point or another.

From a technical standpoint, the film is obviously in black and white which does nothing to detract from the story. The cinematography was nominated for an Oscar, and should have won in my opinion. I also am one of many that want to rebuild the house and live there forever. The passage of time should definitely be noted, as it was masterfully portrayed.

On the whole, it is a wonderful movie which I would recommend to anyone.

Delightful is the best word I can think of to describe The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. It's got everything - drama, comedy, romance, fantasy, good acting, solid direction, interesting cinematography, a beautiful score, atmosphere, nice sets, and a well-written script. It's taken me a while to finally get around to watching The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. From what some friends of mine (whose opinions I am now highly suspicious of) warned me that it was a sappy, sentimental movie and not my kind of thing at all. They couldn't have been more wrong. In short, it's very nearly a prefect movie.

While I could write pages about most every aspect of this film, I'll instead just mention a couple of areas that really stood out to me. First, the acting. Over the past couple of years I've become something of a Gene Tierney fan. I've still got a way to go see all of her films, but I sincerely doubt I'll enjoy her performance in anything as much as I did The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (and that includes Laura). I can't imagine anyone doing a better job of bringing life to Lucy Muir. It was easy to forget I was watching a character on a screen and not peeping into the life of a real person. Well done.

The second area I'll mention is the score. Bernard Herrmann's music fits every frame of The Ghost and Mrs. Muir flawlessly. The music adds immensely to the emotional roller coaster that is the plot. There are very few scores I would rate any higher than this one.

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir was a very original story; The authoress, Josephine Aimee Leslie Campbell was the daughter of a sea captain. The study of the two main characters is very interesting; you have a rather gruff sea captain, who has led a man's life and is proud of it. He makes no excuses for himself; he is a man who takes responsibility for his actions. He is an honest man. Marriage is not for him- although he has two demanding mistresses; his ship and the sea. Mrs. Muir is a true product of her time; she has done what society expects of her; she has married, and bore a child. Her husband is a respected man. She has fulfilled her obligation. We see that Mrs. Muir is more than an average fin de siecle woman. She is deeper; we can see from her brief description of the late Mr. Muir that he was mediocre. From here the love story begins; we see the mutual respect and admiration that Captain Gregg and Mrs. Muir have for eachother.The love is pure and true,on a higher plane; not hindered or comprimised by sexual intimacy.

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir is a love story that like its characters transcends time.