first i need to point out that i have never see the british forsyte series and so i can not possibly compare this movie to it . i have hear that the british series be well and fuller and but i just have no idea if this be true . second and this movie have among the strange casting i have see in some time . errol flynn and well know a a party animal and womanizer and be cast a the incredibly dull and loveless soames forsyte . and and oddly and walter pidgeon play the nice jolyon forsyte . logically and flynn should have play the other role and vice versa and but perhaps the power that be at mgm couldn not allow mr. miniver and mrs. miniver to have a loveless marriage ( role that pidgeon and garson be very famous for ) . regardless of the reasoning and it actually work pretty well . as far a flynn go and this casting be probably a good decision and a his role be by far the most interesting and enigmatic in the film . while garson and pidgeon play likable people and robert young play an ardent suitor and flynn must play a very cold and cynical man . the expression he know the price of everything and the value of nothing be a great description of him a fool who might be rich but can not appreciate love or thing cash can not buy him . it must have be tough for the dash flynn to play such an overly restrain type of character and it be one of the best role of the late half of his career . greer garson essentially play the stereotypical greer garson role you know and the nice and sweet lady you naturally love . and pidgeon play essentially the same nice guy role he usually play in the 1940s as well . as far a robert young and janet leigh and they be important to the plot and but their character weren not really all that important to the plot they just help the story along . essentially and the story be about very rich and boring old soames forsyte ( flynn ) pursue irene ( garson ) very and very ardently . however and his passion and love seem to completely vanish once he marry her almost like she a financial acquisition and not a loving wife . later and irene meet her niece boyfriend ( young ) and they somehow fall in love . in some way this be very and very unconvincing after all and irene be nice and the idea of her steal her niece beau be a bit hard to swallow . but and consider what a cold fish soames be and i could certainly understand her jumping at the first chance for passion . i just would have like the movie a little more if the object of her affection be well define or if this infatuation seem a bit more believable . anyways and what exactly happen next and i will not explore far and a i do not want to spoil the film . so how all this be resolve be just go to have to wait until you see the film . however and i will say that the very best line in the movie be the final one give by irene . speaking of now ex husband soames and she say i feel sorry for him and . he a very poor man . what a fantastic line a marvelous way to wrap up this excellent film . p on a sad note and you might want to compare the errol flynn in this film to the same man in movie from just three or so year earlier . i saw this movie as well a objective and burma . ( 1945 ) and never say goodbye ( 1946 ) all a day or so apart . despite be make about the same time and flynn be a lot fatter and puffier in that forsyte woman due to the effect of alcoholism . sure he be suppose to be old in this film and but the effect i be talk about be not create by the makeup department . his drinking have finally take it toll and he look at least 15 year old just in three year . it very depress and really and that he do this to himself go from a very handsome lead man to a bloat soon to be have be ( his film of the 1950s be and for the most part and third rate mess ) .