Fresh off her success in William Wyler’s Roman Holiday, Audrey Hepburn joined Humphrey Bogart, William Holden and director Billy Wilder for 1954′s Sabrina. Adapted from Samuel A. Taylor’s play Sabrina Fair, by Taylor himself with Ernest Lehman, the film plays out like something out of a fairytale. It begins with the words “once upon a time,” that betrays its Cinderella roots.
Sabrina Fairchild (Hepburn) is the chauffeur’s daughter (John Williams), a shy teen who hides in the bushes spying on David Larrabee (William Holden), the youngest and the least disciplined son of the rich Larrabee clan. In contrast, older brother Linus (Humphrey Bogart) is all business. He runs the family empire and is more concerned with making money than making time with the ladies. Ironically, it’s only Linus that notices Sabrina, in the throes of a dramatic suicide over David’s cluelessness. Sure, Linus doesn’t realize that this silly kid is serious, but at least he knows her name.
All of this takes place the night before Sabrina is to leave for Paris for two years in cooking school. Fast forward two years–-Sabrina returns from France a new woman; a sophisticated lady ready to capture the heart of David Larrabee. There’s only one problem: Linus has promised David to the daughter of a sugar cane magnate so the Larrabee’s can get their hands on all the sugar they need for a new plastic compound they are pioneering. Fearing that the thrice married David won’t go through with his end of the deal, Linus decides to take Sabrina out a few times to keep his little brother’s mind off her. Predictably, a genuine romance begins to develop between Sabrina and the significantly older man.
While Audrey Hepburn is as delightful as ever in Sabrina, the film itself isn’t one of my favorites. Film romances often ask viewers to suspend belief, but this scenario asks too much of its audience. Linus is old enough to be her father and has the personality of a wet noodle. Even when he’s trying to be charming, he still comes off looking like he’d rather be balancing his checkbook. How are we supposed to believe that Sabrina would suddenly give up her lifelong dream of being with a fun-loving fellow like David, for a bore like Linus?
Billy Wilder had originally wanted Cary Grant for the part of Linus Larabee, but he passed due to scheduling conflicts. Grant would have brought a sense of innate charm to the role that Bogart is missing. That charm, combined with the fact that Grant looked much younger than Bogart at the time, would have made the idea of Sabrina falling in love with Linus seem more plausible. Bogart was a great actor; comedy just wasn’t his forte.
Though Audrey Hepburn isn’t required to do much more than be luminous and heartbroken, she is the reason Sabrina is worth watching. As she often does, Hepburn gives the story a great sense of style, enjoyable wit, unforgettable charm, strength and intelligence. Plus, her costumes are breathtaking; though the famed Edith Head won an Oscar for Best Costume Design, many of Hepburn’s outfits were created by Hubert de Givenchy and chosen by the star herself. Sabrina is a good film; I just don’t think the pairing of Bogart and Hepburn allowed the film to be the true fairytale it could have been.
The brand new HDR/Dolby Vision Master from a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative is an improvement over any previous release of the film. Sharper than ever before, detail shines, be it the wrinkles on Humphrey Bogart’s face, or the luxurious interiors seen throughout the film. The film benefits from the use of HDR, enhancing contrast throughout and revealing subtle differences in the grayscale tones. Natural film grain is nicely preserved. There are no real scratches or other anomalies. Viewers should be very pleased with this transfer.
Taken from its original Mono source, the lossless audio presentation supports the film quite well. Dialogue is always clean and clear, and we get a nice echo when Hepburn sings a bit of “La Vi en rose,” and other musical pieces from Rodgers and Hart, etc. There is also some nice depth.
English subtitles are included.
The following extras are available:
DISC 1 (4KUHD):
- NEW!! Audio Commentary by Film Historian Joseph McBride, Author of Billy Wilder: Dancing on the Edge
- NEW!! Audio Commentary by Film Historian/Writer Julie Kirgo and Writer/Filmmaker Peter Hankoff
DISC 2 (BLU-RAY):
- NEW!! Audio Commentary by Film Historian Joseph McBride, Author of Billy Wilder: Dancing on the Edge
- NEW!! Audio Commentary by Film Historian/Writer Julie Kirgo and Writer/Filmmaker Peter Hankoff
- Audrey Hepburn – Fashion Icon: Featurette
- Sabrina’s World: Featurette
- Supporting Sabrina: Featurette
- William Holden – The Paramount Years: Featurette
- Behind the Gates – Camera: Featurette
- Paramount in the ‘50s: Retrospective Featurette
- Sabrina Documentary
- Theatrical Trailer