Letter from an Unknown Woman
1948 · Movie · 87 min · ★ 7.8 · 95% critics
On the eve of fleeing a duel, a celebrated pianist receives a long letter from a woman he can’t place. As her words trace years of devotion and missed connections in turn-of-the-century Vienna, he’s forced to confront how little he understood the impact of his choices on someone else’s life.
Based on Letter from an Unknown Woman
Where to watch
Not currently available to stream in the US.
1 hour to watch.
Streaming availability and prices may be inaccurate or change — verify with the provider before subscribing.
unSUB's subscription recommendations are informational only, not financial advice.
More value for your money
Similar titles, ranked by watch-hours per subscription dollar.
Details
- Years
- 1948
- Release date
- 1948-04-28
- Language
- English
- Runtime
- 87 min
- Critic score
- 95/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.8/10 (341 votes)
About
You’ll likely enjoy this if you want a bittersweet, letter-driven romance about memory, regret, and unrequited devotion, with a classic feel like Casablanca; Not for you if you dislike melodrama or improbable love stories.
Pros: emotionally rich romance; strong lead performances; haunting musical atmosphere | Cons: far-fetched coincidences; can feel emotionally distant; slow, melancholy pacing
Themes
- love of one's life
- anonymous letter
- ignorance
- author
- duel
- vienna, austria
- illegitimate son
Cast & crew
Joan Fontaine
as Lisa Berndle
Louis Jourdan
as Stefan Brand
Mady Christians
as Frau Berndle
Marcel Journet
as Johann Stauffer
Art Smith
as John
Carol Yorke
as Marie
Howard Freeman
as Herr Kastner
- JG
John Good
as Lt. Leopold von Kaltnegger
Leo B. Pessin
as Stefan Jr.
Erskine Sanford
as Porter
Directed by Max Ophüls