Watch The Moon and Sixpence

The Moon and Sixpence is a 1942 film adaptation of a novel by W. Somerset Maugham about the life of Charles Strickland, a successful but conventional stockbroker who seeks to fulfill his artistic passion by leaving his wife and children to become a painter. The film stars George Sanders as Strickland, Herbert Marshall as Maugham (who serves as the film's narrator), and Doris Dudley as Strickland's long-suffering wife.

The story begins with Maugham attending a dinner party where the guests are discussing the recent scandal surrounding Strickland's abandonment of his family and subsequent pursuit of art. Intrigued, Maugham decides to investigate Strickland's story and travels to Paris to interview those who knew him. Through a series of flashbacks, we learn about Strickland's difficult childhood, his unsatisfying career in finance, and his growing dissatisfaction with the constraints of his middle-class life. He abandons his family and moves to Paris to pursue painting, despite having no formal training.

In Paris, Strickland meets a fellow artist named Dirk Stroeve (played by Steven Geray), who befriends him and introduces him to the local art scene. Strickland embarks on a tumultuous affair with Stroeve's wife, Blanche (played by Elena Verdugo), before ultimately leaving her to pursue his art in Tahiti. Maugham travels to Tahiti to find Strickland, where he discovers that he has taken up with a young native girl (played by Moonja Christiansen) and has achieved a level of artistic success that he never could have found in Europe.

The Moon and Sixpence is a character-driven film that explores the themes of artistic passion, personal fulfillment, and the cost of living life on one's own terms. George Sanders gives a powerful and nuanced performance as Strickland, capturing both his implacable drive for artistic excellence and his callous disregard for the people who love him. Herbert Marshall is also excellent as Maugham, providing a necessary counterpoint to Strickland's self-absorbed worldview.

Doris Dudley is particularly noteworthy as Strickland's wife, delivering a subtle and deeply empathetic performance that conveys the pain and confusion of someone who has been abandoned by the person they love. The supporting cast is also strong, with Steven Geray and Elena Verdugo providing excellent turns as Stroeve and Blanche, respectively.

The film is beautifully shot, with a lush and dream-like quality that captures the exotic landscapes of Tahiti and the bohemian vibe of Paris in the early 1900s. The score by Dimitri Tiomkin is also noteworthy, providing a haunting and evocative backdrop to Strickland's artistic struggles.

Overall, The Moon and Sixpence is a complex and emotionally resonant film that explores the difficult choices people make in the pursuit of their passions. It is a must-see for fans of character-driven dramas and those who are interested in the intersection of art and life.