January 2007 Archive

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The Wings of the Dove (1997)

Helena Bonham Carter, Linus Roache, Alison Elliott
4/5

A beautiful, dark and romantic film.

Based on the novel by Henry James, 'The Wings of the Dove' centers primarily around Kate Croy, an impoverished British woman who is taken in by a wealthy Aunt and offered a chance to return to a life of privilege on the condition that she sever connections with her lover, journalist Merton Densher.
Unsure that their love can withstand the test of poverty Kate reluctantly agrees...but her plans change when Millie (a wealthy American heiress who Kate suspects to be dangerously ill) also falls for Merton.
Soon Kate has concocts elaborate scheme that entangles them all in a tragic love triangle.

All in all it is an absolutely gorgeous film, with superb cinematography, costumes, and production design. It makes for a pleasant change in both style and tone from the largely Merchant Ivory adaptations of James' work.
Helena Bonham Carter (a Henry James regular) is very good as the scheming -yet sympathetic- Kate Croy, and the supporting cast is equally strong...keeping the characters from drifting into easy clichés. Still, the acting is very subtle (at times overly so) and tends to improve with multiple viewings.

The story itself is wonderfully complex...although one feels that the final scene seems insufficient in its attempts to tie up all the (emotional) loose ends.
Still, a great film and not to be missed.

DVD Worthy? Definitely
Extras: A 'Making of...' featurette.

Costumes: Not my favorite period, but I have to admit that I absolutely adore some of Kate's tailored suits and jackets. If you're a fan of the 1910s this film is a must. Great costume and hair design, with some pretty spectacular hats.

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Pride & Prejudice (1940)

Greer Garson, Laurence Olivier, Mary Boland
4/5

I first saw this version of 'Pride & Prejudice' in 1995, shortly after the release of the famous BBC adaptation, and was very much in a "Colin Firth or nothing!" frame of mind (I was thirteen).

But now...and I know I'm going to go to some sort of Costume/Literary Hell for saying this…
Now it is one of my favourite films.

I love it for its quaint charms, over-the-top campy acting, and liberal use of soft focus.
I love Old Hollywood movies... and this adaptation actually fares better than most (including the recent version featuring Keira Knightly) at setting up major plot points and characters within the time limits of a feature film.
Wickham is presented as potential (and plausible) suitor for Elizabeth, and the social ramifications of his elopement with Lydia are made clear, both for them and the rest of the Bennet family.

However, the film gets a lot of flack from Austen purists on several scores, and they are absolutely 100% right...
The period has been pushed into the 1830s, and even then the costuming is way over the top. Laurence Olivier is suitably posh and proud as Mr. Darcy, but the character has been significantly sugar-coated, and his relationship with Elizabeth is much more traditional (insofar that it's clear that they fancy each other more or less from the start).
Additional scenes --especially the Garden Party at Nietherfield-- add little to the plot, and don’t justify the exclusion of other key moments (such as Elizabeth’s visit to Pemberly).
Not to mention the fact that the last quarter of the movie bares little (if any) resemblance to the original novel, as events are rearranged to ensure that everyone ends happily, including Lady Catherine.

Still, I really enjoyed the film as a sappy romance.
I usually like Laurence Olivier as a rule and Greer Garson gives one of my favorite performances as Elizabeth. See it for their take on the love story if nothing else.

It's not Austen (not really)…but it's charming nonetheless.

DVD Worthy? Rent it first, it’s not for all tastes.
Extras: A short film from the 30s.

Costumes: Kendra over at Démodé described this film as “the 1830s on acid” and I couldn’t have put it better myself. Everything is very over the top and ‘costume-y’ (the bonnets looking especially ridiculous).
The 1830s styles are not particularly period and are extremely dated (more 1930s than 1830s). Still, some of Greer Garson’s dresses are nicely tailored, and it’s always fun to see the Old Hollywood take on historical fashion.

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Gwendolen's Pink Floral Dress

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