Un Acte d'Amour (1953) Reviews

Act of Love was based on The Girl on the Via Flamina, a novel by Alfred Hayes. Kirk Douglas plays an American soldier, participating in the 1944 liberation of France. Making the acquaintance of impoverished Parisian girl Dany Robin, Douglas takes pity on the girl, pretending to be married to her so that she won't be unfairly arrested as a prostitute. When Douglas attempts to make their union legal, he is denied permission by his superior officers. So far as they are concerned, Robin is just another little opportunist, marrying a GI in order to gain US citizenship. But Robin is genuinely in love with Douglas-and proves it, in a profoundly tragic manner. Producer/director Anatole Litvak and screenwriter Irwin Shaw do their best to bring some cinematic excitement to the somber goings-on. Act of Love represents the first appearance in an English-speaking film by Brigitte Bardot, here playing the minor role of "Mimi". ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi