(1951)
2
Craig Butler
An interesting if ultimately unsuccessful drama, Teresa deserves credit for trying to take a serious look at the lives of two "little" people affected by World War II and the attempts to build a future together. The protagonists are not special or unique; they're simply two people thrown together in the war who discover that there are elements that make simply being together a challenge. Director Fred Zinnemann seems to have a special affinity for these people and a sincere interest in telling their story plainly and truthfully. Unfortunately, the screenwriters have not given the director top notch material with which to work. In attempting to make their male lead human and flawed, they have gone rather too far. The result is a character that is annoying, weak-willed and unpleasant. Attempts to explain his flaws by way of a domineering mother reek of amateur psychology and simply won't wash with a modern audience. And the female lead's willingness to take her man back after his treatment of her is ill-motivated. That said, John Ericson and Anna Maria Pier Angeli do an excellent job of portraying the man and the woman. Ericson can't quite overcome the manner in which his character is written, but the performance is impressive. Even better is Angeli, who looks beautiful and brings a simplicity and beauty to her performance that is very pleasing. Zinnemann's pacing is a bit labored at times, but he creates some dramatic screen compositions that are quite powerful.
cast-crew for Teresa on AllMovie
Teresa (1951)
