Based on the short story Babylon Revisited, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, written in 1930 and first published on February 21, 1931
An American writer returns to Paris, where his daughter is living with his in-laws since his wife died. He recollects his life in the French capital, the parties, and his conjugal quarrels. Now he is asking to take his daughter back, but will his sister-in-law agree?
Though some of the dialogue is copied from the short story, this is not a faithful adaptation. The period it is set in is after World War II, whereas in the short story it is 1930. Also, in the film the protagonist chooses one sister over the other, and the rejected one holds a grudge. When I watched the film for the first time, I hadn't read the short story, and perhaps that caused me to like the film better. Now, analyzing the changes, I think they render the film slightly absurd. There is nothing so special about the protagonist that should make them covet him so promptly and intensely. Furthermore, the sister-in-law was already dating someone else, and it is strange that she would simply disregard him nonchalantly. She would later marry her former suitor, who appears thus to be a real saint. The movie is not as depressing as the short story, but also makes less sense. The screenwriters filled it with witty one-liners, providing a continuous source of amusement, but detracting from the film's credibility (no one talks like that). It's mostly a phony drama, but somehow it conveys many of the short story's ideas, and it's never really boring.
Rating: 51 (down from 63)
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