To Each His Own What a gentle, tender story! This is a Romance ‘par excellence’ handled with maturity, insight, and simply told in flashbacks which take us back to earlier years, into the realities of life for a young woman who loses her true love during wartime (WW1) then finds herself unmarried and bringing a child into the world whom she must give up afterwards due to a twist in circumstances. It’s a truly wonderful role for Olivia de Havilland, as Jodie Norris, and I can’t think of anyone else who could play it so convincingly.
Roland Culver, in his supporting role as Lord Desham, provides a substantial backup for the elderly ‘Jodie’ who meets him rather abrasively during WW2 days but later relates to him the personal tragedy in her youth. He has the presence of mind and determination to see that old wrongs are set aright — all of which leads to one of the most beautiful endings to a film anyone could wish for.
It’s a film that poignantly reflects the war years when so many lives were uprooted, hopes dashed, yet carried on with courage. I wish they made more films like this one, it’s a gem.
