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The Heart of the Matter

Play trailer Poster for The Heart of the Matter 1953 1h 45m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 2 Reviews 47% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
In 1940s Sierra Leone, expatriate Harry Scobie (Trevor Howard), a Catholic police officer, is trapped in a loveless marriage. While his unhappy wife is out of town, Harry quickly falls in love with Helen (Maria Schell), a war widow. As his Catholicism threatens to keep him bound to his wife and apart from the woman he loves, Harry is consumed with guilt and becomes desperate for a solution to his dilemma. Harry's religion haunts him throughout this story of forbidden love and inner turmoil.

Critics Reviews

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Robert Bingham The Reporter The photography is beautiful. the direction is sensitive, but somewhere along the line it was found expedient to throw away the entire point of the book. Jan 25, 2022 Full Review Clyde Gilmour Maclean's Magazine Without attaining the rare dignity of classic high tragedy, this is an unrelievedly gloomy melodrama... Nov 11, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member The colonial setting isn't overly relevant here, but adds an edge to it. It's a romantic drama exploring the mindset of the protagonist as he undertakes an affair with his own piety causing much consternation to proceedings... and it's well explored. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Audience Member Moody drama about the quandaries that face an English policeman in Sierra Leone. The bind that Howard's character eventually gets himself into is fascinating, but the story is a bit weak structurally and for me it took so long to get to point that it felt under developed when it got there. Peter Finch's priest (a brilliant bit role) ought to have been introduced as the undeniable imposing spokesman for the catholic faith much earlier. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/19/23 Full Review Audience Member While it had it's momennts, this failed to impress as much as I expected. Although Howard's acting is excellent, the film lacked the spark of other Greene adaptations, and I found my attention wandering. This is, however, perhaps because I lacked the patience for the Catholic guilt driving the character of Scobie. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/12/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Heart of the Matter

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The Heart of the Matter

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Movie Info

Synopsis In 1940s Sierra Leone, expatriate Harry Scobie (Trevor Howard), a Catholic police officer, is trapped in a loveless marriage. While his unhappy wife is out of town, Harry quickly falls in love with Helen (Maria Schell), a war widow. As his Catholicism threatens to keep him bound to his wife and apart from the woman he loves, Harry is consumed with guilt and becomes desperate for a solution to his dilemma. Harry's religion haunts him throughout this story of forbidden love and inner turmoil.
Director
George More O'Ferrall
Producer
Ian Dalrymple
Screenwriter
Lesley Storm, Ian Dalrymple, Graham Green
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Runtime
1h 45m