Five Days One Summer (1982)

17% of critics liked it
(6 reviews)
41% of users liked it
(166 ratings)

Fred Zinnemann's final film is a meditative examination of an illicit May-December romance, set in the mountain expanse of the Swiss Alps. Sean Connery plays Douglas, a middle-aged Scottish doctor on vacation in the Alps in 1932 with a beautiful and fresh-faced young woman, Kate (Betsy Brantley),… More Fred Zinnemann's final film is a meditative examination of an illicit May-December romance, set in the mountain expanse of the Swiss Alps. Sean Connery plays Douglas, a middle-aged Scottish doctor on vacation in the Alps in 1932 with a beautiful and fresh-faced young woman, Kate (Betsy Brantley), whom he introduces as his wife. Douglas has taken Kate to the Alps to introduce her to the invigorating sport of mountain climbing. When Douglas and Kate arrive at the mountain lodge, their happiness is tempered by a knowing melancholy. Through flashbacks, it is revealed that Kate has been madly in love with Douglas since she was a little girl and that she seduced him away from another woman. The flashbacks also reveal that Kate is not his wife, but his niece. But then, in their mountain retreat, young and handsome guide Johann (Lambert Wilson) makes an entrance. Johann immediately develops an attraction for Kate. Now Kate has to worry if the feeling is mutual. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 51 min.
Directed By: Fred Zinnemann
Written By: Michael Austin, Kay Boyle
Genres: Drama, Romance

In Theaters: May 6, 1983 Wide

Critic Reviews

Variety Staff, Variety
An attempt at an intimate personal drama that just doesn't come off.
Janet Maslin, New York Times
This isn't a movie anyone would mind, but it isn't one anyone would feel terribly touched by, either.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Too bad that the Oscar-winning Fred Zinnemann (From Here to Eternity) ended his career with such a disappointing period romance, one that even Sean Connery (in his post-Bond era) can't help.
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
Fred Zinnemann waited 40 years to make this surprisingly lifeless film, a major disappointment from the acclaimed director.
, Time Out
A film which creates drama more out of gesture and nuance than dialogue, and employs a lush setting which overwhelms instead of pointing up the characters' emotions.
, Film4
A gentle swansong from director Zinnemann.

Read all 6 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Pierluigi P

Many people could accuse Fred Zinnemann's swansong as slow and dated, but I would defend this film as a stylish drama that arouses a huge variety of concealed emotions, especially for anyone who appreciates cinema as the art where images speak for themselves. indeed, Zinnemann… More
Many people could accuse Fred Zinnemann's swansong as slow and dated, but I would defend this film as a stylish drama that arouses a huge variety of concealed emotions, especially for anyone who appreciates cinema as the art where images speak for themselves. indeed, Zinnemann made a touching and overlooked gem, with beautiful cinematography and superb performances.