The haunting strains of Georges Delerue's delicate score and Oskar Werner's bedroom eyes from the bittersweet and long-unseen 1968 romance, "Interlude," have lingered in memory for decades. The beautiful music and Timi Yuro's rendition of the title song stand the test of time; whether enhancing the film's London images, well shot by Gerry Fisher, or heard on the soundtrack album, Delerue's score ranks among his best and is undeniably the movie's strongest asset. Unfortunately, the third retelling of an illicit romance between an orchestra conductor and a young reporter is dated at best, and the casting does not help credibility.Although Oskar Werner retains his dreamy looks and sexy accent, which were better showcased in "Ship of Fools," his Stefan Zelter is a vain, self-absorbed chauvinist and not particularly sympathetic. How a man of his intellectual depth could betray the elegantly beautiful Virginia Maskell is hard to fathom. Maskell, in an understated award-winning performance as Stefan's wife, has such an aura of grace and class that his betrayal stamps him as a common cad; especially so because the object of Stefan's affections is a young blonde with a penchant for 1960's-style skirts and ratted hair piled atop her head. Sally, played by Barbara Ferris, is not a particularly interesting character. Stefan's attraction beyond the physical is inexplicable; he is a famous conductor, a man of the world, and the best she can conjure up is that she likes music. Although Sally is an adult and, with open eyes, enters into an affair with Stefan, fully aware of his wife and family situation, she begins the clichéd whining about his lack of time with her and about his ultimate intentions; those tired scenes have been played many times before and often better. Sally is shallow, and her emotional histrionics ring hollow; the glycerin tears glisten falsely on her cheeks. Kevin Billington's direction is lackluster; do all affairs begin with lunch? Do all lovers romp in the park to romantic music? Do all wives send their husbands away for weekends alone at the shore? Throughout the film, a trio of unexpected delights pops up in the form of three young actors on the verge of illustrious careers. Donald Sutherland is Stefan's best friend, who is undergoing a divorce; John Cleese plays a nervous publicist and would-be mentor to Sally; and Derek Jacobi is an opinionated dinner guest. Beyond the glaring exception of Ferris, "Interlude's" cast is first rate and rises above Lee Langley and Hugh Leonard's predictable script, which was based on a 1957 Douglas Sirk film of the same title, which in turn was a remake of a 1939 Irene Dunne melodrama, "When Tomorrow Comes." Despite the flaws and predictability, however, "Interlude" is a diverting romantic trifle with a pair of engaging performances from Werner and Maskell and a brilliant score by Georges Delerue, which will send viewers in search of the soundtrack album before the final credits roll.

I saw this film for the first time a week ago and was mesmerised by the charm of the characters and the atmosphere created by the superb classical background music. It is the most sophisticated love story I could ever recall seeing in more than 30 years of watching movies. The location filming around London was very impressive.But the most incredible memory from this film is the brilliant acting of Virginia Maskell as the spurned wife. The dignified pain in her eyes at the end was haunting (I understand that she had tragic personal problems at the time, but still her performance was worthy of recognition). The acting of Oskar Werner and Barbara Ferris was also outstanding and very realistic. The film was directed and photographed beautifully - altogether a superb visual experience.

Attention to all who want to see this film released on DVD (or VHS, for that matter): Oskar Werner's son is trying to have this released. There is a petition on Oskar Werner's website to support this.http://de.geocities.com/oskarwerneronline/Please take a moment a sign it. This is a beautiful movie that deserves preservation and I know there are many fans who are dying to get a quality copy to watch. I have a copy made from TV (on VHS) but as many others have commented, it's grainy and has poor sound.

"Interlude" completely caught me off guard! Finding this film was a mistake, albeit a very happy mistake. I obtained a copy of this very rare film by sheer accident. I actually had requested a copy of the 1957 Hollywood version directed by melodrama maestro Douglas Sirk. But when this British version arrived I decided to give it a try and I was immediately sucked in by the sheer scope of its romance and truly phenomenal lead stars.This 1960s version stars Barbara Ferris and Oskar Werner as tortured lovers who must cope with the looming presence of Werner's wife and two young children. Ferris, as the sweet and innocent newspaper reporter, and Werner, as a temperamental and famed conductor, exude an overwrought chemistry and truly make you want to see them together in light of his oblivious family.Set to a moving theme that rivals that of the famous song from "Love Story", "Interlude" is a rare gem just waiting to be rediscovered. The direction is sensitive and romantic, yet provides moments of unabashed melodrama and scope. One of the movie's most climactic moments is choreographed to a classic piece that Werner is conducting. The ending honestly left me with a lump in my throat, just waiting for more. This is what a romantic drama is supposed to be about.