Sabrina, the chauffeur's daughter, grows up pining for playboy David Larrabee, goes to Paris and comes back a polished woman. His workaholic brother Linus steps in to protect a business deal and ends up falling for her. Wilder keeps the glamour light and lets the clothes and the stars do the talking.
At a glance
Sabrina is a 1954 comedy, romance and drama film directed by Billy Wilder. This breakdown covers 5 techniques (3 narrative, 1 psychology and 1 cinematography), each with the scene where you can see it. If you like how it is made, The Counselor uses several of the same techniques.
Letting the audience know something a character doesn't. You watch them act without that knowledge, which creates suspense, dread or dark comedy.
How this film uses it
You know who Sabrina is the second she gets off the train, and David does not. His flirting is funny and a little cruel, because you know what he ignored for years.
Where to see it
The lift home: David, passing by the station, offers Sabrina a ride without recognizing her. She accepts.
Taking a character to the opposite of where they started, such as from weak to strong or from decent to compromised. That reversal is what the film is about.
How this film uses it
Humphrey Bogart, known for tough roles, plays Linus as a cold businessman who ends up as the romantic lead. He starts by manipulating everyone for the merger and finishes by running to catch a ship.
Where to see it
The ship: David arranges a car and a tugboat so Linus can rush to Sabrina's ship before it leaves the harbor. Linus finds her on board, and they sail away together.
Paying attention to who is looking, who is being looked at and whose eyes the camera borrows. Looking becomes a form of power in the story.
How this film uses it
At first Sabrina watches David from the dark, unseen. After Paris, the looks go the other way, and he stares at a woman he does not know. Who looks, and who is looked at, tells you how much power each person has.
Where to see it
Party eavesdrop: The night before she leaves for Paris, Sabrina watches and listens as David leads another woman into the dark indoor tennis court.
Designing wardrobes that carry character, status or change as much as the acting does. Clothes tell you who someone is or has become before they speak.
How this film uses it
Sabrina returns from Paris in a sleek, adult look, and the change is the first thing anyone notices. Edith Head won the Oscar for costume design, though who designed Audrey Hepburn's outfits has long been disputed between Head and Hubert de Givenchy.
Where to see it
Sabrina's return: After 2 years at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, Sabrina comes home an attractive, sophisticated woman.
Pairing characters from opposite social worlds who find each other strange. Their friction produces the comedy, and what they learn from each other produces the emotion.
How this film uses it
A cold tycoon and a chauffeur's daughter come from opposite sides of the Larrabee estate. Their friction is funny, and what they learn from each other becomes the heart of the film.
Where to see it
Tennis court: Linus takes David's place with Sabrina at the indoor tennis court. They fall in love, though neither will admit it.
Questions
Side by side
Keep watching
Same director
Same era
