You would honestly be most likely to look at Grace Kelly more than the other actors because, I swear she is just so beautiful and sweet. I would've loved if her character had a happy ending with Nicolas who was the teacher. Unfortunately, the girl had to choose over Alec McGuiness's character because he was a royal and the teacher wasn't.This is the first time ever in my lifetime that a good 1950's romance movie didn't have a happy ending. Maybe I should watch more 1950's movies and see if there are other good ones with unhappy endings lol!This was a really good Grace Kelly film I have to say!

Boring, ridiculous, despicable, annoying.I guess I'm stupid.I don't understand this film.Yeah yeah, duty over desire, but that does not even apply, she doesn't have to marry him??!! The prince surely doesn't seem in love with her, he needs a queen, and towards the end he seems to take pity on her, who turned from a plank to a teenager in love (very unconvincingly). Maybe that what he's supposed to be? Her rescuer?The family schemes to get the prince, so the professor becomes a token, despicably so. Then his advances soften her, but she wants to be a queen, she's so sorry, can he forgive her. No, he says. He gets all angry with everybody and holds socialist speeches, which are somehow connected with his admiration for Napoleon (lol!). She likes that for some reason, or his hurt pride, or whatever. So now she's in love, with a vengeance. I can actually accept that, putting aside the improbability of its sudden appearance. The way she's in love is believable. Then the prince insults the professor, he wants to retort, she stops him with a kiss - that ends it for him---huh??? Says she kissed him out of pity, like she would kiss a dog - huh??? Well I love my dogs! With passion!:-)So then he leaves and everybody manipulates her thoughts and so she is a swan again, who actually are rather aggressive animals on land, while I have found geese to be much gentler! I thought the ending was tragic. Nothing funny or romantic in it. And just for her I say that, as I don't understand the professor beyond the kiss. And I don't care. I guess he just didn't want to bother with her fickleness, or a kiss was all he wanted... You know, I like Alec Guiness, but even the uncle is more dashing than him with his moustache-twirling and his padded chest (or so it looked - ridiculous!) - shudder.All hail to the aunt!So, first hour boredom extraordinaire, then a little one-sided romance and a lot of overacted drama about it, very confusing, at the end back to the ice swan - great. Fantastic. Call that entertainment?But, as I mentioned, I just didn't get it.Just my two cents.

More than Charles Boyer,Louis Jourdan was par excellence the French lover;he was so handsome that pairing him with supreme beauty Grace Kelly was only natural;Alec Guiness seems out of place next to this dream couple.It should be noted that Jourdan was never big in his native country where he made some interesting movies ("Premier Rendez-Vous" )but no memorable masterpiece :he was probably too handsome for his own good.Whereas France was asking for plebeian heroes (Jean Gabin) he was some kind of aristocratic person.But not in "the swan": he is a proletarian ,an educated proletarian (they always call him "the teacher" ,"the professor" and the princess learns his first name halfway through the movie) but a man of common birth . Which makes "the swan" a fairy tale in reverse : everyone knows his place (scene of the kiss) ,even the romantic gorgeous lady becomes sensible and reneges on her love."When a swan leaves his lake,he becomes gauche" ."A Star dragged down into the mud" .The aristocrats (particularly the ladies and even the clergy) are hard on the others.The story takes place at the beginning of the last century at a time a princess could not marry a peasant ;and today ,if they do not marry a noble ,they make sure he's got plenty of dough ;ditto for the princes.The movie became prophetic :Grace Kelly was so credible as a princess she became one in real life.Strong supporting cast :Jessica Royce Landis (who was also Kelly's mother in "to catch a thief"),Estelle Winwood and Agnes Moorehead .

A nice old-fashioned story with a hidden message: do what is right. Grace Kelly seems a little self-conscious under the glare of the camera, but beautiful nevertheless. The dashing Louis Jourdan is worth watching on the dance floor scene, as he is good-looking, graceful and romantic. Look for the aunt Symphorosa's wacky, out-of-place comments when it seems that the plot gets a little dry. She adds some off-beat humor and is very likable. Of note, there are several underlying hints that the Prince is probably gay: he takes no notice of Princess Alexandra and the scenes between him and her are painful to watch, because he keep fixing her with a closed expression in his eye (like a man that knows a woman wants him but is not interested because he already has a man!). Be on the lookout for a telling scene between Carl, Symphorosa and Beatrix. They discuss the Prince's preference for the professor's company rather than attempting to court the princess. Enjoy the movie and the subtle style of screen writing from the bygone era of cinema!