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Actors: Bette Davis, Charles Boyer, Barbara O'Neil
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| Review Summary and Plot Commentary about All This and Heaven, Too |
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At a school for girls in America, a new teacher, Henriette Deluzy Desportes begins to teach French grammar. But, the students aren't paying any attention. One of the girls asks Henriette to spell the name of a French prison and a Duc. Henriette realizes that the scandal that she left behind has followed her. Her old friend, a minister, tells her to demand the respect of the girls, so she begins to tell her story, which unfolds in a flashback.
Back in France, Henriette takes a position as governess to the children of Duc and Duchesse de Praslin. The Duc is a kind man who loves his children and wants the best for them. The Duchesse is haughty and mentally unstable. She doesn't really care for her children. She's completely obsessive towards the Duc and jealous, and the Duc hasn't been in love with her for years. The Duc decides to hire Henriette.
Henriette and the children grow close, and the Duc also begins to grow fond of her. A scandal begins that they are having an affair. The Duchesse believes the gossip and feels that Henriette is trying to steal her husband and her children's love. Henriette insists that the only thing between them is friendship, and that the Duchesse lost her children because of her coldness. The Duchesse tells Henriette that if she leaves without making a fuss, she'll send a letter of recommendation so that she can get another job. The Duc tries to stop Henriette, but Henriette says that even though they haven't done anything, she has to go so that the scandal won't ruin the children's lives. Henriette stays in a boarding house, waiting for months for the letter. Until she has it, she can't get a job as a governess. The Duc visits with the children every so often, and when he hears that the Duchesse hasn't written the letter, he goes back and demands that she write one. But, the Duchess says that she'll never write one. In a rage, the Duc kills the Duchesse.
Henriette is arrested, because the law feels that the Duc only killed the Duchesse because of his passionatte love affair. Because the Duc is nobility, he can't be arrested, although he is questioned by his peers. Both of them keep maintaining their innocence. The Duc takes poison. In an effort to get Henriette to confess, they take her to his bedside. The two of them don't speak, but when Henriette is taken away, the Duc confesses to his groundskeeper that he took poison because he was afraid that if they kept asking, he would admit that he had fallen in love with her. But, now, they won't have evidence. He dies, and Henriette is let go for lack of evidence. A minister helps her get a job in America, and the movie comes back to the present day. Henriette finishes telling her story, asking the girls if they'll accept her. The girls are moved by her story and ask forgiveness. She agrees to stay on as their teacher and the minister says he'll be her friend and show her that her life can be full of happiness.
--Angela Tircuit, Resident Scholar
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| Analysis of All This and Heaven, Too |
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of movie:
- 19th century
Romance/Love/Hugging
Yes
Kind of romance:
- inconveniently married while playing footsy
Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Profession/status:
- teacher/professor
Age:
- 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
Hair color?
- brunette (Brown)
Hair type
- (woman) long straight
Body type
- (woman) average
Events of movie makes character more...
- sad
Ethnicity/Nationality
- French
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor?
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Physique
- average physique
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Hair color
- brunette (Black)
Hair style
- (man) short/standard straight
Body type
- (man) average build
How much in movie?
- 80%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- French
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Female
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- Prince/Nobleman/King
Eccentric:
Yes
- emotionally unstable
- obsessed
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- 80%
Hair color
- brunette (Black)
Hair type
- (woman) long straight
Ethnicity/Nationality
- French
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Setting
United States
Yes
Europe
Yes
European country:
- France
Misc setting
- school
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
Check here if B&W
Yes
Is this movie based on a
- book
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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