Exoticalot People are voting emotionally.

Dynamixor The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Merolliv I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

JohnHowardReid Producer: Christian Ferry. Copyright 23 August 1965 by Panoramic Productions. U.S. release through International Classics: September 1965. New York opening at the Paris: 23 August 1965. U.K. release through 20th Century-Fox: 3 September 1967 (sic). Australian release through 20th Century-Fox: 17 March 1966. Sydney opening at the Town (ran one week). 105 minutes.SYNOPSIS: Agnes Larbaud (Patricia Gozzi) is a beautiful but withdrawn girl who lives with her father, retired Judge Frederick Larbaud (Melvyn Douglas) and Karen (Gunnel Lindblom), their maid, in an old house located on a remote seacoast of France. She exists in a world of her imagination, because the Judge has kept her isolated from civilization.For companionship, she builds a scarecrow upon which she lavishes all her attention. Then one night, Joseph (Dean Stockwell), a wounded young Army deserter, arrives at the lonely house. When he sees the scarecrow he puts on its ragged clothes and collapses. The Judge and Karen discover from newspapers that Joseph is wanted for murder, but do not notify the gendarmes of his presence. The Judge is pleased to have someone intelligent with whom to talk and play chess, and Karen soon becomes romantically involved with Joseph.NOTES: The story of "Rapture" involves the interrelated search for love by its four leading characters. Douglas plays a retired judge who feels that his dead wife never loved him, and who hopes to win the affection of his teenage daughter. She, played by Patricia Gozzi, is in turn desperately in love with a fugitive merchant seaman (Dean Stockwell) who comes their way and is captivated by her. Gunnel Lindblom, as the servant girl, solves her own romantic needs by taking love wherever she finds it.These performers bring to the screen a wealth of contrasting personalities: veteran actor Douglas, who has been a stage and screen luminary for the past thee decades and has appeared in a wide variety of roles; young Stockwell, who went through an entire career as a child star before growing up to adult roles in such films as Compulsion and Long Day's Journey Into Night, for both of which he was awarded the prize as best actor at the Cannes Film Festival; sixteen-year-old Patricia Gozzi, who gave an unforgettable performance with her touching and sensitive role in Sundays and Cybele; and Gunnel Lindblom, the exciting Swedish beauty seen recently as the heroine of Ingmar Bergman's The Silence. Rapture was filmed mainly on location on the coast of Brittany in an old farmhouse on a hill above the fishing port of Erquy. The farmhouse was designed in the Breton style of the early 19th century on a site completely lacking in such amenities as water, gas and electricity. — Fox Publicity.COMMENT: This film looks very attractive from the trailer, with its arresting compositions, superb black-and-white CinemaScope photography and fine music score. The film itself, however, suffers from a rather slow script, which is made to appear even more laborious by the sluggish delivery of some of the players, especially Melvyn Douglas.

ramblinjack1 From her stark novel of loneliness, "Rapture In My Rags" by PHILLIS HASTINGS.Patricia Gozzi, giving a 'bravura' performance that is nothing short of amazing, plays 15 year old disturbed Agnes (Fr. pronunciation: 'Anya'), a child-like waif who lives with her widowed Father in a ancient château on the jagged coastline of Brittany, France in conditions that are outwardly normal but with more psychological twists than a Freudian barber pole!Melvyn Douglas plays an ex-judge with what he seemingly believes is the key to the ageless paradox, "justice vs crime: egalitarian or barbarous?" His long suffering writings on his revelations are hamstrung by his quilt-ridden widower hood which continually stands between either world-fame or solitary madness.Agnes' latest trifle is to create a homemade scarecrow that gives her more succor than any human ever could. Suddenly, as a bolt from the sky, an escaped fugitive appears, (Dean Stockwell) who is befriended by the family. Guilt and innocence become more confusing than a Fallujah road-map!Recently previewing this Tour-De-Force again I am truly amazed why this Masterpiece isn't considered one of the greatest of it's time period. Although admittedly I haven't read the book, from which it is adapted, this film must certainly be considered a brilliant interpretation of a totally original story.

cferpic Magnificent performance by Patricia Gozzi, with the help of Dean Stockwell and Melvyn Douglas. Brilliant directing by John, Guillermin who admits that he never had to direct a more gifted actress (John Guillermin is also responsible for the discovery of Jessica Lange, introduced in King Kong) The film suffered of a black & white (inspired ) cinematography (by French cameraman Marcel Grigon) at a time when distributors would not accept to release a film other than in color,to fight the TV competition (1965).Patricia Gozzi is also great in GRABUGE another ill-starred production of Darry F.Zanuck that was a harbinger to the 68 riot in Paris.

rinna7 Those who remember kid actress Patricia Gozzi's stirring performance in Sundays & Cybele (1962) will be equally amazed at the remarkable range she displays in this outing. As Agnes (or "Aun-yez", as the French pronounce it) she easily steals the film from headliners Dean Stockwell & Melvyn Douglas. Not a bad feat for a 15-year-old with limited previous film experience -- and none in English language films! Her completely believable performance as the sheltered & confused daughter of an embittered retired judge (Douglas) is nothing less than riveting.The movies' premise in a nutshell revolves around Agnes' conviction that a scarecrow she has made has come alive after fugitive Stockwell dons its clothes while on the run, and the ensuing relationship that develops between the two. Stockwell, whose fine performances have graced so many films, doesn't have much to do this time around. Film veteran Douglas, on the other hand, gets in some memorable scenes. Georges Delerue provides the gorgeous music he was noted for -- perfect for the film.Whether this particular movie grabs you or not, at its conclusion you'll no doubt find yourself wondering why Gozzi -- whose career seemed to come to a grinding halt shortly after this -- didn't continue acting into her adult years and become a major star. It's one of those perplexing mysteries of filmdom!