Madeleine – 1950 | 102 mins | Drama | B&W

Plot Synopsis

Madeleine is David Lean‘s most serious examination of Nineteenth Century Great Britain, deadly serious in both its subject matter and tone. Almost devoid of comic relief, it deals with murder – not with the compulsive, agonised killings of a misfit – but murder of convenience, murder of a discarded lover planned and executed by a woman of twenty one years fresh from a London finishing school. The film makes use not only of trial records but of Madeleine Smith’s letters and Emile L’Angelier’s memorandum book (not admitted as evidence) to follow the course of actual occurrences. Madeleine is the true story of a Glasgow women from an affluent background accused of murdering her erstwhile lover, told in flashback the film explains why Madeleine Smith (Ann Todd) is standing trial for murder. We are informed of Madeleine’s illicit romance with charming Frenchman Emile L’Angelier (Ivan Desny), her futile attempts to break off the relationship, her betrothal to Englishman William Minnoch (Norman Wooland), and the murder by poison of the troublesome L’Angelier .