The Heiress

All the while, one watches the seemingly forgettable story, which, of course, distinguishes from similar melodramas mainly through beautifully written and acted characters (all of them!)... And then comes the end, strong and courageous and righteous, and it is simply clear that The Heiress is a 100% gem. In addition, it will also put ideas into people’s heads, because you will ask yourself if the whole thing could have turned out differently and whether you would have done the same or not. And I like that. (2017-07-01)

A solid costume romantic drama, whose success lies in the performances of Montgomery Clift and Olivia de Havilland (a well-deserved Oscar) and especially in the very unexpected ending, which (at least in my film experience) is far from the traditional ending of films of this genre. I certainly can't say that I knew how it would end after half an hour, which is a detriment to many other films; here the unpredictability is very welcome. In short, a film in the true sense of the word, which at the end will make you shudder and ask: "Did it really have to end like that?" (2013-02-08)

Olivia de Havilland gives another stunning performance. She’s a unique actress who excellently supports Montgomery Clift, a great actor of his generation, who may look like a dandy but can play great roles, as demonstrated in the film Red River. I was a bit disappointed by the period setting, but does suit the story, at least in the style it was told. (2014-10-13)

At the beginning was Henry James' famous novel "Washington Square" (1881), which was followed by the Goetz play "The Heiress" (1947). The film is therefore the result of a careful selection of material and its examination over time. Olivia de Havilland made the most of the good material for her second Oscar and revisited it in a radio dramatization... As such, The Heiress is one of the influential classics that have been lucky enough not to age. Because profiteering, naivety, and condemnation have still not disappeared... (2020-12-28)