Which 1951 French film, directed by Albert Lewin, is also known as Pandora and the Flying Dutchman?

The 1951 French-American film directed by Albert Lewin is titled Pandora and the Flying Dutchman. Ava Gardner plays Pandora Reynolds, while James Mason plays the doomed sailor Hendrik van der Zee.

The film combines the Pandora myth with the legend of the Flying Dutchman. Its story is set largely in Spain and presents Pandora as a modern woman whose life becomes entangled with a mysterious man under a supernatural curse. The title signals that this is an adaptation and recombination of myths, not a straightforward retelling of Hesiod.

Albert Lewin wrote and directed the film, which is known for its stylized color cinematography and elaborate production design. The film’s imagery includes the famous mythic associations of forbidden desire, fate, and punishment.

It is often confused with the 1929 German silent film Pandora’s Box, but the productions are different. The earlier film stars Louise Brooks and was directed by G. W. Pabst; the 1951 film stars Ava Gardner and was directed by Lewin.