Forebidden, a film made by Frank Capra in 1932

Frank Capra has never loomed very large in my radar. I was stunned by this film. Stunned by its rawness, stunned by how by how it never went near to falling into the excesses of melodrama, despite having a story that lent itself to that, and amazed at how it never sought to judge its three main characters, when it might easily have done so.

The story spans more than twenty years and shows many lives blighted by unfulfilled love. Lulu, a librarian (Barbara Stanwyck, looking so YOUNG!) meets and falls for a lawyer, Bob (Adolphe Menjou). After some fun he confesses that he's married and there's no question of him leaving his wife, who is crippled by a car accident he is responsible for. After his confession Lulu rejects him and gives birth alone to his daughter. Some years later, when her daughter is about four years old, they get back together. His career progresses to the point of becoming state governor, and she accepts the role of governess to her own child, which he has 'adopted'. She has always been courted by a journalist, Holland (Ralph Bellamy), who doesn't know of her involvement with Bob but, for his own reasons, wants to 'get' the Bob, who has become well known. Bob has become frustrated and sickened by his hypocrisy but is unable to resolve the conflicts in his life. In a moment of despair Lulu agrees to marry Holland but soon after he learns, from his own research into Bob, of her connection with Bob and sees what a fool he has been. In an argument she shoots Bellamy and goes to prison. Out of prison Bob is on his death bed and Lulu is with him when he dies. She wanders off into the street, alone, an unhappy, unfulfilled and hardened person.

This film is so moving in some places I could hardly take it. Background music was not used. The film refused to adjudicate between Lulu and Bob and never sank into sentimentality. This film was of course made before the Hays code prevented films showing birth out of marriage, etc, etc (although the code was adopted in 1930 it was only enforced from 1934 to 1968). I have always been a fan of Barbara Stanwyck, so it doesn't count for much when I say that she was very good. There is an amazing before-Bob's-confession scene when he arrives at her home for supper wearing the mask of a wolf, with also a mask for her, and they cavort and played together wearing masks for five minutes or so, giving the first intimation of the drama to come.