In this case it's melancholia.
This is the most beautiful love story I know. Set in 1922, a shipload of mail order brides is on its way to the US and Damian Lewis as a photographer is his most understatedly emotional best as he falls in love with one of the young women, a feisty girl from Samothace who is going reluctantly to fulfil a promise and keep her family's honour intact for her 6 sisters and cousins who hope to follow her. Filmed modestly (the seascapes as the ship ploughs through the night are anything but convincing) it is nevertheless stunningly evocative due to the sheer beauty of the faces and the music, and the restraint of the acting. Exquisite. I've watched it several times with friends and family and it always leads to interesting discussions of the moral dilemma and how it is resolved. Personally I agree totally with the film version but others see it differently and offer alternative endings.
The DVD is well worth searching for, but a word of warning about the language, the Greek women amongst themselves speak Greek though it's not a great loss, as all the rest, crew and upper deck passangers speak English. The DVD I ordered from Greece has no subtitles, but the Australian version has subtitles but no director's commentary which seems a great pity. I can't understand why it's not available in the US as it is a true story that is just as relevant to American history as it is to Australian.
