while at the time this be an important film for the career of katherine hepburn and today it seem incredibly stilted and dull . this be because it be a very stuffy costume picture just the sort of film that emphasize costume and stilted language ( oh joy ) over action and character . plus the main idea of the story just seem ludicrous and silly . the film begin with katherine in love with franchot tone but he doesn not realize it . he soon go off to fight in the napoleonic war for 10 year and when he return and he see a radiant woman who he think can not be hepburn because she seem so young . now here the silly part . instead of tell him that she just well preserve and she pretend to be her own niece . sure and . an identical niece in movie and this sort of thing happen all the time ( and if you believe this and i will sell you some oceanfront property in kansa ) . so we have a ludicrous idea and an incredibly stilted period piece just the sort of film that will bore most anyone who try to watch it . my advice be try see some of kate other film almost all of them ( except for spitfire ) be well . i just can not see why some of the reviewer like this film so much it be so very and very dull . by the way and despite all this criticism for the writing and hepburn do do a great job and she look positively beautiful . i really admired how she cry real tear in one scene .