Anastasia

In 1949 Ingrid Bergman was effectively cast out of Hollywood over her relationship with Roberto Rossellini and the child they had outside marriage; she stayed in Italy and made five films with him. This was her first Hollywood picture in seven years, although it was shot entirely in Europe. The story concerns a woman found in Paris with no identity who is claimed to be Anastasia, granddaughter of the Russian Empress. Bounine, the White Russian general played by Yul Brynner, coaches her as part of a swindle, and who she actually is becomes steadily less clear. Helen Hayes came out of semi-retirement to play the Dowager Empress Marie, and the meeting between the two women is the film's finest scene. Bergman won the Oscar for Best Actress for the role and came to the United States for the first time since 1949 to accept the New York critics' award. Anatole Litvak directed. The film opened on 13 December 1956. Who it is for: viewers who want classic Hollywood melodrama and Bergman at full power. Who it is not for: anyone seeking historical accuracy, since the Anastasia story it tells has since been disproved.