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BRIDE OF THE WIND Send This Review to a Friend
Here's a case of the subject matter being more compelling than the telling. "Bride of the Wind" recounts the adventures of Alma Schindler in turn-of-the-century Vienna, and boy, did she have adventures. Alma, a woman of an independent spirit out of synch with what women were supposed to adhere to at the time, was romantically involved with some of the artistic titans of that age--composer Gustav Mahler, painter Oskar Kokoschka, architect Walter Gropius and novelist Franz Werfel.
Just covering the territory makes "Bride of the Wind" worthwhile, and there's the boon of having talented and lovely Sarah Wynter, a screen newcomer, playing the colorful, fascinating Alma. There are other interesting performances, including Jonathan Pryce as Mahler and Vincent Perez as Kokoschka. The opportunity for providing visually splendid settings has been seized upon by director Bruce Beresford, who has such impressive credits as "Breaker Morant," "Tender Mercies" and "Driving Miss Daisy."
While Beresford doesn't come through with particularly creative direction, the basic problem is Marilyn Levy's flat screenplay. The emphasis on a woman's independent journey is there, but the dialogue sometimes borders on the banal and the story marches along without the spark that is needed to elevate the film above the conventional. Since the material is so unconventional, this is a pity.
That said, 'Bride of the Wind" is far more interesting and entertaining than a lot of other zippier movies because it is dealing with a fascinating personality involved with major individuals who are part of history. Beresford has shown he is a director with an eye toward subjects that are out of the ordinary, and he has once again been drawn to special terrain. You may want to follow. A Paramount Classics release.
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