Zandy's Bride Reviews

A beautifully photographed, intimate little western shot in the Big Sur area of California that boasts some fine acting but really nothing more. Hackman stars as an ill-tempered rancher who decides to end his loneliness by sending off for a mail-order bride (Ullmann). When the woman arrives, she is shocked by Hackman's apparent cruelty and heartlessness toward her as he treats her like a slave. She decides to fight back against his tyranny, and the shock of someone standing up to him begins to arouse long-repressed feelings of tenderness and compassion in Hackman. By the end of the film, Hackman accepts Ullmann as an equal and demonstates his ability to be a loving father when she bears his child. Despite the gorgeous scenery and strong performances, ZANDY'S BRIDE is a rather hollow film that suffers from lackadaisical scripting. There is not much plot here (and there is nothing wrong with that if the characters are interesting), and the people and their actions are cliched and predictable. There is no spontaneity; it all seems very cold and mannered. Hackman and Ullmann (with able support from Heckart, Stanton, and Bottoms) struggle to wring some life and meaning out of the material, and it is through their efforts that ZANDY'S BRIDE works at all. Directed by celebrated Swedish director Troell, whose films THE EMIGRANTS and THE NEW LAND were magnificent period pieces about Swedes settling in America during the 19th century, ZANDY'S BRIDE suffered because of his inability to adjust to American production methods. In Sweden, Troell worked with a close-knit crew of 15 and had complete access to the camera--even shooting scenes himself if he chose to. Warner Bros. gave the director a union crew of 100. The sheer number of these strangers intimidated the director and made him extremely nervous and self-conscious. He was also not allowed anywhere near the camera--union rules. In her book Changing, Ullmann relates how Troell and his actors sneaked a camera into the cabin and "rehearsed" while the director photographed the whole scene hand-holding the camera--finally able to feel as if he controlled the set. Problems aside, ZANDY'S BRIDE is beautiful to watch and at times an interesting look into frontier life.