{"id":81738,"date":"2022-02-26T12:57:09","date_gmt":"2022-02-26T19:57:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=81738"},"modified":"2022-05-07T13:40:26","modified_gmt":"2022-05-07T20:40:26","slug":"desiree-1954","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=81738","title":{"rendered":"Desiree (1954)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;You think you can do with people precisely what you want &#8212; that life is as you say it is?&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Desiree-Poster.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Desiree-Poster-198x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"198\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-81742\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Desiree-Poster-198x300.png 198w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Desiree-Poster-674x1024.png 674w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Desiree-Poster-84x128.png 84w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Desiree-Poster-178x270.png 178w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Desiree-Poster.png 741w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 198px) 100vw, 198px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nWhen his brother Joseph (Cameron Mitchell) marries a well-to-do young woman (Elizabeth Sellars) in Marseilles, young Napoleon Bonaparte (Marlon Brando) falls in love with Sellars&#8217; sister Desiree (Jean Simmons), and the two become engaged &#8212; but soon Napoleon disappears to Paris, and Desiree learns he will instead be marrying a wealthy noblewoman named Josephine (Merle Oberon) in order to pursue his path towards global dominance. Desiree marries one of Napoleon&#8217;s generals, Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte (Michael Rennie), who eventually becomes king of Sweden and renounces his French citizenship &#8212; but Desiree and Napoleon continue to cross paths occasionally, even as their destinies diverge widely.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Cameron Mitchell Films<\/li>\n<li>Historical Drama<\/li>\n<li>Jean Simmons Films<\/li>\n<li>Marlon Brando Films<\/li>\n<li>Merle Oberon Films<\/li>\n<li>Michael Rennie Films<\/li>\n<li>Royalty and Nobility<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nA year before co-starring in <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=40834\"><em>Guys and Dolls<\/em> (1955)<\/a>, Marlon Brando and Jean Simmons were paired in this historical drama which Brando was notoriously forced to make (contractually speaking). To that end, his Napoleon is serviceable but not much more: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Desiree-Brando.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Desiree-Brando-1024x395.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"247\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-81743\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Desiree-Brando-1024x395.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Desiree-Brando-300x116.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Desiree-Brando-128x49.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Desiree-Brando-768x297.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Desiree-Brando-1536x593.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Desiree-Brando-604x233.png 604w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Desiree-Brando.png 1655w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; while Simmons is gorgeous but also not given too much depth. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Desiree-Simmons.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Desiree-Simmons-1024x415.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"259\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-81744\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Desiree-Simmons-1024x415.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Desiree-Simmons-300x121.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Desiree-Simmons-128x52.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Desiree-Simmons-768x311.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Desiree-Simmons-1536x622.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Desiree-Simmons-604x245.png 604w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Desiree-Simmons.png 1647w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>We&#8217;re glad she meets kind Rennie, and we enjoy the beautiful sets and costumes throughout:  <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Desiree-Simmons-Rennie.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Desiree-Simmons-Rennie-1024x406.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"254\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-81746\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Desiree-Simmons-Rennie-1024x406.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Desiree-Simmons-Rennie-300x119.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Desiree-Simmons-Rennie-128x51.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Desiree-Simmons-Rennie-768x304.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Desiree-Simmons-Rennie-1536x609.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Desiree-Simmons-Rennie-604x239.png 604w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Desiree-Simmons-Rennie.png 1643w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; but there&#8217;s not much otherwise to hold our attention. I did get a chuckle out of reading <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1954\/11\/18\/archives\/desiree-and-napoleon-film-on-emperors-life-opens-at-the-roxy.html\">NY Times reviewer Bosley Crowther&#8217;s<\/a> pun at the end of his mostly panning review, in which he describes this film as &#8220;a colorful vehicle for a pseudo-Napoleonic outing, a streetcar named &#8216;D\u00e9sir\u00e9e&#8217;.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Fine CinemaScope cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Desiree-Coronation.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Desiree-Coronation-1024x403.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"252\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-81739\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Desiree-Coronation-1024x403.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Desiree-Coronation-300x118.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Desiree-Coronation-128x50.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Desiree-Coronation-768x302.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Desiree-Coronation-1536x605.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Desiree-Coronation-604x238.png 604w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Desiree-Coronation.png 1653w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nNo, unless you&#8217;re curious. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0046903\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1954\/11\/18\/archives\/desiree-and-napoleon-film-on-emperors-life-opens-at-the-roxy.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s3858desi.html\">DVD Savant Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/72866\/desiree#articles-reviews?articleId=906518\">TCM Article<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/reviews\/review\/57338\">DVD Talk Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;You think you can do with people precisely what you want &#8212; that life is as you say it is?&#8221; Synopsis: When his brother Joseph (Cameron Mitchell) marries a well-to-do young woman (Elizabeth Sellars) in Marseilles, young Napoleon Bonaparte (Marlon Brando) falls in love with Sellars&#8217; sister Desiree (Jean Simmons), and the two become engaged &#8212; but soon Napoleon disappears to Paris, and Desiree learns he will instead be marrying a wealthy noblewoman named Josephine (Merle Oberon) in order to&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=81738\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-81738","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81738","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=81738"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81738\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":83851,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81738\/revisions\/83851"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=81738"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=81738"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=81738"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}