“Are we still friends? — We are not enemies.” William Wyler is a master of sophisticated dramas. I am still impressed by his work "The Children's Hour". And from under his “pen” also came "Ben-Hur", "The Big Country", "Roman Holiday", "Jezebel", and other stories. And "The Heiress" from 1949 appears as another interesting work by the director. The film is an adaptation of the Henry James novel called "Washington Square". I have not read the original story, but the film is quite interesting to watch. The characters, the surroundings, and the costumes are presented well here, and overall the story is told in such a way that you watch with interest, trying to figure out one character or another and their true motives. The plot tells the story of Catherine Sloper. She is a modest and somewhat shy girl who grew up with a father who constantly dominated her. This is shown quite strongly: through dialogues, stories, and the behavior of both the father and the daughter. But suddenly everything familiar changes when a young, smiling, and suspiciously (for me, as a viewer) pleasant-to-everyone guy named Morris Townsend appears in this story. At first everything goes well, but soon the father — Austin Sloper — says that the young suitor is only with his daughter because of her inheritance. And from there the story develops with all the interest in details, dialogues, some gestures of the characters, and looks. The viewer has to figure out what Morris is really like and where this whole story will lead. Olivia de Havilland, who played the leading role, is excellent as always. I am amazed by her ability to portray completely different heroines. She is a great dramatic actress whom I still remember from childhood for her huge sad eyes in Gone with the Wind. In this story, for example, she amazes with her almost insanely naive eyes, sincere and deep feelings, and the way her heroine believes in the very best. She also demonstrates very well how difficult it is for her under her father's pressure. Their relationship is very interesting and in no way inferior to the main intrigue surrounding Townsend. And watching how the heroine changes throughout the film is very interesting. An excellent performance by the actress who received her second career Oscar for it. Montgomery Clift seems to have been the best choice for the role of Morris Townsend. His appearance fits very well, as do his charm and a certain mystery. You sit there wondering whether the heroine's father is right or not. Does Townsend really want to be with Catherine, or does he want to be with her inheritance? The script allows you to appreciate both the character and Clift's acting. I really liked the actor in this film. He keeps you intrigued until the very end. The other member of this acting trio is also good. This is Ralph Richardson, who excellently and theatrically strongly conveys the image of the heroine's domineering father. Austin Sloper turned out to be imposing, very confident in himself, flamboyant, and someone who speaks very properly about everything around him. And his assumptions about his daughter's suitor do not seem wrong after just a few phrases. The actor delivers an excellent character in whom a caring father and a calculating man are surprisingly combined. "The Heiress", in my understanding, is primarily a drama about finding yourself and the price of love. The film shows very well how the father and daughter each deal with their own problems, oppose each other, and also support each other. Both have accumulated grievances against the other. De Havilland and Richardson convey the emotions of their characters well. And the film shows perfectly that there will be no villains and heroes here. There will only be people with their own resentments and pain. The film was honored with four Academy Awards, including awards for Best Actress, costumes, the soundtrack, and production design. There was also a Golden Globe for de Havilland. All deserved: the costumes here really impress, as does everything else, as does the leading actress. The film has high ratings, and I liked it too. I would not say that I was wildly enthusiastic about the film, especially about the controversial ending, which I did not even like at first. For me, the film became a solid drama that is definitely worth watching. The direction and acting here really are at a high level, and some ambiguity can quite reasonably be justified. 7 out of 10