Constant Nymph, The (1943)

The heart yearns for the ineffable, though mere words cannot express it. Edmund Goulding directs this adaptation of Margaret Kennedy’s story of a bohemian naïf (Joan Fontaine) and a complicated sophisticate (Alexis Smith) locked in battle over the love of a poor, gifted composer (Charles Boyer). The naïf, young Tessa, has loved the composer Lewis all her life – it’s a love that is deep, selfless, and all encompassing. Lewis, meanwhile, meets and marries Tessa’s cousin, Florence, whose love for Lewis is more flawed, and more human. Loyal to his bride, Lewis nonetheless finds himself drawn to Tessa more and more. Her boundless faith in Lewis transforms Tessa, first into Lewis’ muse, and then into something more; while Florence’s jealousies lock her into a mortal battle with a child she can’t hope to win. Rarely seen for nearly seventy years, the timeless tale of love, tragedy and inspiration returns at last.

1943, B&W, 112 minutes