Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948)

Perhaps the best known of the four films Max Ophuls made during his stay in Hollywood before returning to Europe. “Letter from a Stranger” (1948), a moving drama set in early 20th century Vienna where Stefan Brand, a famous pianist, receives a letter from a woman with whom he had, in the past, a relationship he no longer remembers. Lisa Berndle, is a young woman whom Brand has known but despised for most of his life, but when he finally discovers who his admirer is, it may be too late to avoid a tragedy. Adapted from a novel by Stefan Zweig, a project that allowed Ophuls to recreate a world he had left behind where his refined style can be appreciated through the elaborate moving camera shots that characterize him.