review for Of Human Bondage on AllMovie

By the time this remake rolled around, Of Human Bondage was pretty familiar stuff -- if not because of the previous two filmed versions, then because this kind of sexual obsession story had been the basis of other films as well. This Bondage doesn't work very well, largely because the elements simply aren't right. Bryan Forbes' screenplay misses the mark, the direction is unconvincing, and the leads are miscast. However, the miscasting in one of the cases is rather fascinating. As the manipulative slattern, Kim Novak is far too kittenish and sympathetic (and boasts a truly appalling accent). She certainly has the looks that make one believe a man would sell his soul for her, but she can't commit to the baseness of the character. And yet, despite these flaws, she offers moments of rare insight into the character. She's clearly attempting to explore the contradictions in and depth of the role. She doesn't succeed in reconciling those contradictions into a credible person, or in delving quite deep enough on a consistent basis, but she has moments that are very striking. The same cannot be said of Laurence Harvey, who conveys the character's anger well but comes across as flat and boring when attempting to mine the tenderness and sensitivity that is crucial to the film's success. His superficial performance matches the writing and the direction. The strength of the basic story, and Novak's intriguing performance, make the film watchable -- but not the compelling experience it should have been.