Review of The Wings of the Dove (1997) by Jonathan B — 30 Dec 2013

This is a beautifully shot period drama that places Helena Bonham Carter in that early 20th century environment in which she seems really comfortable. She play Kate, a young woman who is in love with a penniless journalist, Merton played by Linus Roache.

Kate is the ward of her glamourous, monied aunt who is determined that Kate will make a good match and marry into a wealthy, titled family. Into this mix comes Millie, an orphaned American heiress on her way to Venice.

Millie is desperately ill and, after noticing her attraction to Merton, Kate begins to hatch a cruel, devious plot. The period feel of this film is terrific and it is great to see scenes set on the 1900s London Underground as well as those in Venice.

You get a real sense of the society that is in a transition from the uptight Victorian age to the more liberated Edwardian era. There's great play made of the fashions in clothes and art together with the changes in science and technology which I have seldom seen better portrayed than here.

The plot is something of a slow burn, but I think in this case, it really works that way as the schemes, plots, jealousies and mistrusts begin to show and the the lives of the protagonists are tragically interwoven.

I don't think I'm giving anything way by saying that there's not a nice, neat happy ending. This is based on a novel by Henry James after all. But there's an opulent, romantic feel to this production that makes it a sumptuous feast for the eyes and the spite and jealousy prove a little less sugary than most films if this genre.