Add your email and we'll match picks to the services you stream at home.

Poster for Letter from an Unknown Woman

Letter from an Unknown Woman

Seen it?

1948 | 87 min | Drama, Romance

Sunday Safe Bet

Why it’s a Sunday Safe Bet

Critics loved it (100% on Rotten Tomatoes). A safe bet when you want something reliable.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for romantics. If you loved Before Sunrise or The Bridges of Madison County, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
The mood
Warm and romantic.
The pace
Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 27 min.
What might put you off
  • Made in 1948: an older pace and style.
  • Audiences were cooler on it than critics.

A pianist about to flee from a duel receives a letter from a woman he cannot remember. As she tells the story of her lifelong love for him, he is forced to reinterpret his own past.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsVery strong

    100% on Rotten Tomatoes

  • AudiencesSolid

    7.8 out of 10

  • AwardsNot counted

    No major awards or nominations

  • Reach & staying powerSolid

    Streaming release that reached a modest audience; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactSolid

    About 46K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

More like this

Want more like this, picked just for you? Get my picks

Cast & crew

Directed by Max Ophüls

  • Joan FontaineLisa Berndle
  • Louis JourdanStefan Brand
  • Mady ChristiansFrau Berndle
  • Marcel JournetJohann Stauffer
  • Art SmithJohn
  • Carol YorkeMarie
  • Howard FreemanHerr Kastner
  • John GoodLt. Leopold von Kaltnegger
  • Leo B. PessinStefan Jr.
  • Erskine SanfordPorter