Tender Is the Night (1961)

The works of F. Scott Fitzgerald do not translate easily to the screen, and Tender Is the Night, while not a bad movie, is no exception. Ivan Moffat does a decent job of adapting this difficult work, but inevitably the characterizations are not as sharply observed, and the nuance that is so essential is often lost; as a result, the motivations of the characters are unconvincing, coming across at times as very murky and at others as over simplified. More damaging is the miscasting of Jennifer Jones, whose role is the linchpin of the entire project. Jones simply does not have the range required to tackle this character, and she falls back on mannerisms that quickly become annoying. There's also too little chemistry between her and Jason Robards Jr., who himself gives a performance that feels only half-hearted. Much better is Joan Fontaine, grabbing hold of a secondary part and giving it her all -- and seeming to enjoy herself tremendously at the same time. The film is overlong, but it also is lavishly produced, with some stunning Leon Shamroy cinematography, including some glorious sweeps across the Riviera that are just stunning. The technical work, as a matter of fact, is so good that it compensates for a great many of the movie's flaws. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide