Justine *** (1969, Anouk Aimée, Dirk Bogarde, Michael York, John Vernon, Anna Karina, Philippe Noiret, Robert Forster, Jack Albertson, Cliff Gorman, George Baker) – Classic Movie Review 9722

Director George Cukor’s wobbly but intriguing and colourful romantic mystery drama Justine is the 1969 film version of Lawrence Durrell’s Alexandria Quartet, with Anouk Aimée starring as the enigmatic Justine, married to wealthy Coptic banker Nessim (John Vernon), but having affairs in late-1930s Alexandria.

They include incestuous British consul officer Pursewarden (Dirk Bogarde, excellent). British teacher and poet Darley (Michael York) makes friends with Justine, via Pursewarden, and watches her affairs and involvement in a plot against the British. The British stalwart actor George Baker plays the British Ambassador David Mountolive.

The alluring actors work hard to make it enjoyable, Cukor makes the surface look beautiful and stylish (retaining some of the original filming in Tunis), and there is some wit to Lawrence B Marcus’s unwieldy script.

It is exotic but difficult material to make work as a movie, and, though rather empty and a disappointment, Justine is not the disaster it is reputed to be. The cast alone are worth our time.

Michael York plays British teacher and poet Darley in Justine.

Also in the fascinating, mixed bag of a cast are Anna Karina, Philippe Noiret, Robert Forster, Jack Albertson, Cliff Gorman, George Baker, Elaine Church, Michael Constantine, Michael Dunn, Abraham Sofaer, Marcel Dalio, Barry Morse and Severn Darden.

Anna Karina died on 14 December 2019, aged 79.

Justine is directed by George Cukor, runs 117 minutes, is made by Pandro S Berman – George Cukor Productions, is released by 20th Century Fox, is written by Lawrence B Marcus, is shot in Panavision widescreen and Color by DeLuxe by Leon Shamroy, is produced by Pandro S Berman, is scored by Jerry Goldsmith, and is designed by Jack Martin Smith and Fred Harpman.

Director Joseph Strick worked for several weeks on the movie on location in Tunis, but was fired after insisting on Glenda Jackson in the lead role and upsetting some of his actors. When Cukor took over, it was decided to re-create the Alexandria of the 1930s in Hollywood. Some of Strick’s location work is retained, but most of his footage is re-shot by Cukor.

They relocated to Stage 18, 20th Century Fox Studios, 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles.

The movie ended up being costly, and was a box-office flop, adding to 20th Century Fox’s troubles at the time.

Cukor expected it to be three hours long, but it was cut to only 116 minutes.

It is the last theatrical movie photographed by Leon Shamroy.

Back in 1961 Joseph L. Mankiewicz was working on the screenplay when he was approached to take over Cleopatra. Elizabeth Taylor was then due to star in Justine as well.

 © Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 9722

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