Love Is a Many Splendored Thing

Released Aug 18, 1955

1h 42m

Romance

List

53%

17 Reviews

Tomatometer

56%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

In Hong Kong in 1949, Mark Elliott (William Holden) is an American reporter covering the Chinese civil war. Undergoing a trial separation from his wife, he meets the beautiful Dr. Han Suyin (Jennifer Jones), a widowed physician from mainland China. As the pair fall in love, they encounter disapproval from both her family and his friends about their interracial romance. Although the film was a commercial success upon release, the casting of Jones in an Asian role has since been criticized.

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Edward Kosmal

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

If a romantic story is your weakness you may find Love is a Many Splendored Thing just what cupid ordered.

Jan 31, 2023

Full Review

Empire Magazine

Slushy but touching stuff and Jennifer Jones is full of charm.

Rated: 3/5

Jan 31, 2012

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Dave Kehr

Chicago Reader

The film is the quintessence of a certain kind of 50s schlock.

Jan 31, 2012

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Zita Short

InSession Film

The nasty streak of racism also hurts it and makes it difficult to watch...

Feb 8, 2023

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Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

The film is sentimental at times, but even the most maudlin dialogue is well-delivered by the sensational, always-composed Jones.

Rated: 8/10

Aug 23, 2020

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Creative Loafing

Holden and Jones are so good together that it's easy to forget they did not get along behind the scenes. ... Still, they punch across the sweeping passion of this visually dynamic CinemaScope production.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 24, 2013

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Audience Member

Corny but still good. Beautiful score and lush romance. And stop complaining that Jennifer Jones is white. The character is ‘Eurasian’ meaning half Asian and half white. So why can’t a white actress play her? It is no different than if an Asian actress played her. Done.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/07/22

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steve d

Strong performances poor script.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Considering the time the movie was made, it had a beautiful appeal with the characters.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/19/23

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Audience Member

Hollywood has an infamous history of casting white American actors to play Asians and this is one of the most notable cases as superstar Jennifer Jones took on the role of a Eurasian doctor. I am obviously against this practice as it is grossly offensive and prevents Asian actors, deserving of representation, from receiving work. With this acknowledged I have to admit that I do enjoy the performance that Jones gives, I am a massive fan of her work, and I think that she may be the only reason to watch the film. Everything else about the film, other than the cinematography, is miscalculated and that lets down a strong central performance worthy of the praise that it received. Eurasian doctor Han Suyin, Jennifer Jones, lives and works in Hong Kong in 1949 having left behind her family in China and struggles with the pain of being a widow due to the death of her first husband. Her life changes when she meets American journalist Mark Elliott, William Holden, who takes a romantic interest in her and pursues her despite her informing him of her hesitance to begin a new relationship for fear of getting hurt again. They fall in love over time even as Suyin's racist employer Humphrey Palmer-Jones, Torin Thatcher, and his wife Adeline, Isobel Elsom, try to dissuade her from getting close to him because he is legally married but officially separated from his wife. They are unable to marry because his wife will not grant him a divorce but he is accepted by her family and they move towards a more committed relationship. Suyin is fired from her job as a result of the relationship but adopts one of her patients as a daughter as Elliott heads to Korea to report on recent conflicts there. Jones is one of my favorite actresses from the classical era of Hollywood so that must be taken into account when considering the fact that I love almost every performance she has ever given. While I wouldn't put this performance on the level of her work in The Barretts of Wimpole Street (1957) and Carrie (1952) I do think that she provides her customary charm and intelligence to the role. She is working with a screenplay that gives her almost nothing to work on and yet she convinces us of her warmth as a medical professional and her discomfort in a world where she is never truly accepted. It is unfortunate that she and Holden have little chemistry, I would mostly chalk this up to his wooden performance, yet I found small pleasures in her individual work during their interactions as she is lively in every moment. Her Best Actress nomination was deserved and although she ran up against strong competition in Eleanor Parker in Interrupted Melody (1955) and Susan Hayward in I'll Cry Tomorrow (1955) she would have been a better winner than the over the top Anna Magnani in The Rose Tattoo (1955). The other selling point that the film has behind it is it's fantastic cinematography as Leon Shamroy makes full use of the location he is shooting in. Brightly colored backdrops and the accentuation of azure blue in particular help the film to stand out as viewers are sure to thrill at the sight of the couple frolicking in stunningly clear waters and looking out at a beautiful view from a perch on a hill. Sadly the screenplay is not quite as stunning as John Patrick asks Jones and Holden to state all of their emotions and their discussions don't have the natural quality that makes great romantic films work. There is also a lack of conflict in the film as three quarters of it consists of Jones and Holden going out on various dates before we learn that she will lose his job and he is suddenly shot. Racism is passingly referred to but surely it would be a bigger problem in the late 1940s and Suyin and Elliott would be more aware of it's threat. Thankfully the film is only one hour and 40 minutes so audiences aren't left with the couple for too long but the feeling that the film has no driving force behind it leaves you dispassionate about the events that play out on screen.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

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Audience Member

The best romance movie ever made! With the best movie song ever sung: the title song! And the best movie score ever composed!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/26/23

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Audience Member

A dull affair that at least sticks the landing to some degree. Tried hard to be a progressivist vision of its time but had a few issues with casting, acting and script. And very heavy-handed in places.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

06/14/18

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Henry King

Director

Jennifer Jones

Dr. Han Suyin

William Holden

Mark Elliott

Torin Thatcher

Humphrey Palmer-Jones

Isobel Elsom

Adeline Palmer-Jones

Jorja Curtright

Suzanne

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Synopsis

In Hong Kong in 1949, Mark Elliott (William Holden) is an American reporter covering the Chinese civil war. Undergoing a trial separation from his wife, he meets the beautiful Dr. Han Suyin (Jennifer Jones), a widowed physician from mainland China. As the pair fall in love, they encounter disapproval from both her family and his friends about their interracial romance. Although the film was a commercial success upon release, the casting of Jones in an Asian role has since been criticized.

Director: Henry King
Production Co: Twentieth Century Fox
Genre: Romance
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 18, 1955, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 22, 2013
Runtime: 1h 42m

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