Summary
In 'Our Better Selves,' the opulent yet profoundly aimless existence of French aristocrat Loyette Merval and her American counterpart, Willard Standish, forms the initial backdrop for a nuanced exploration of character transformation. Their marriage, while affectionate, is shadowed by Willard's debilitating idleness, a condition Loyette's own societal expectations inadvertently perpetuate when her revulsion at his brief, earnest attempt at becoming a chauffeur compels him to quit. The eruption of the Great War, however, shatters their gilded cage, serving as a brutal catalyst for their individual and shared awakening. Willard, shedding his indolence, enlists in the French Secret Service, embracing a purpose previously unknown, while Loyette, initially resentful of their separation, embarks on her own perilous odyssey to find him. Their fated reunion occurs within the hallowed, soon-to-be-desecrated walls of a convent, where a wounded Willard seeks refuge. As German forces loom, Loyette's audacious disguise as a nun, concealing her beloved within the very altar, becomes a testament to her burgeoning courage. Her remarkable composure under threat of execution, an air of feigned innocence, momentarily saves her. Yet, it is her overhearing of a chilling plot to ambush Allied forces over a mined hill that solidifies her metamorphosis. With a desperate act of heroism, she eliminates the German sentry, sealing her fate alongside Willard. Their subsequent capture and execution, a tragic yet ultimately transcendent culmination, is beautifully rendered as a meeting at the River Styx, where, embracing, they embark on an eternal journey, their 'better selves' finally realized beyond the confines of mortal conflict.
Synopsis
The marriage of a wealthy and frivolous member of French nobility, Loyette Merval, to an American aristocratic idler named Willard Standish, is a loving one, except for their mutual dissatisfaction with Willard's idleness. After Willard becomes a chauffeur, Loyette's subsequent disgust causes him to quit. When the war begins, Willard joins the French Secret Service, while Loyette continues her social life, upset about their separation. After Willard, wounded, hides in a convent, Loyette leaves to find him. As the Germans approach, the nuns escape. Finding Willard alone, Loyette, disguised as a nun, hides him in the altar. Although ordered to be shot, Loyette's air of innocence saves her. When she overhears a plot to have the Allies chase the Germans over a mined hill, Loyette kills the soldier on watch. Although she and Willard are captured and killed, they meet crossing the River Styx and embrace as they sail to eternity.
Review Excerpt
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There’s a peculiar resonance to films that emerge from the crucible of conflict, particularly those like 'Our Better Selves' that grapple with the profound redefinition of identity amidst the chaos of war. This silent epic, penned by the masterful Ouida Bergère, isn't merely a tale of wartime romance; it’s an incisive character study, a commentary on societal expectations, and ultimately, a poignant testament to the human spirit's capacity for transformation. From the opulent, albeit stifli..."
