The Bostonians (B- or 2.5/4 stars)
Adapted by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala from a novel by Henry James, Merchant/Ivory's 'The Bostonians' is set among the Back Bay upper crust of the mid-19th century at the birth of the suffragette movement; when women met in each others' homes to talk about the right to vote & the right to lead independent lives. Christopher Reeve plays Basil Ransom, a tall chauvinist lawyer from the south who is very bored by his opulent lifestyle and his 'proper' friends - is beguiled by his 40-something yr. old cousin, outspoken suffragette/social reformer Olive Chancellor (Vanessa Redgrave). Enter Basil & Olive's mutual friend, the amiable, outgoing women's rights activist, Verena Tannant (Madeleine Potter); and daughter of a Boston faith-healer.
Soon an unorthodox triangle {of sorts} develops as Basil & Olive find themselves rivaling for Verena' affections; Basil because he's in love with her, and Olive because she wants to exploit Verena's social connections to promote her own political ideologies. But Olive might be in love, too. Realizing that she's in danger of losing Verena, Olive whisks her away to a quaint country cottage for a holiday, only to have Ransom follow! Olive wins this battle as Verena re-dedicates herself to their suffragette cause. They dream about her triumphant speech for the cause. But Basil's presence threatens to disrupt matters. And lying low in the background is Verena's true love, poor-but-honest lawyer, Henry Burrage (John Van Ness). Drama ensues.
Similar to Merchant & Ivory's last film, Heat & Dust, 'The Bostonians' is a literary work with exquisite production values. Walter Lassally provides luxuriant cinematography. And Jenny Beavan & John Bright's costumes are absolutely beautiful. Nancy Marchand impresses as a pushy society matron. Jessica Tandy makes an impression as Mrs. Birdseye, leader of New England's women's movement. And I liked good 'ole Linda Hunt as a doctor who has some interesting insights into sexual politics. It's interesting to see all the different sides of Boston's social life during that time {1860-70s} ... a time when women were 'waking up', but still didn't have the prowess to make assertive change (personally or societally).
I wasn't as enamored by Madeleine Potter as Verena. She just comes across a tad listless. It's a slight problem, but a problem in any case; considering that her performance is pivotal in alluring both Olive AND Basil (a very handsome gentleman). Verena is meant to be bewitching. And so, Vanessa Redgrave & Christopher Reeve has to work overtime to create chemistry where there is little. Thankfully, we rely on Redgrave's brilliant depiction of Olive, the Puritanical spinster who loathes men & longs for 'close' female companionship. Redgrave is incredible; delicate, headstrong & wholly inhabits this very enigmatic, complex character. And though she comes across villain-like, you feel for her because whether or not her feelings for Verena are sexual ... they're feelings, nevertheless.
In a time when there was no discussion of lesbianism (and such), Olive must have felt trapped in her time; with no ammunition to face society's social mores. She, along with the other characters in this love triangle can't seem to open up about their true feelings. That's pretty tragic, really. I also enjoyed Christopher Reeve as Basil; a man who perfectly embodies domineering masculinity, arrogance & persuasive love. So while 'The Bostonians' has its issues (casting), and it is slowww to unfold ... it's also a beautiful, intelligent & subtle film about an interesting little slice of American history.
Soon an unorthodox triangle {of sorts} develops as Basil & Olive find themselves rivaling for Verena' affections; Basil because he's in love with her, and Olive because she wants to exploit Verena's social connections to promote her own political ideologies. But Olive might be in love, too. Realizing that she's in danger of losing Verena, Olive whisks her away to a quaint country cottage for a holiday, only to have Ransom follow! Olive wins this battle as Verena re-dedicates herself to their suffragette cause. They dream about her triumphant speech for the cause. But Basil's presence threatens to disrupt matters. And lying low in the background is Verena's true love, poor-but-honest lawyer, Henry Burrage (John Van Ness). Drama ensues.
Similar to Merchant & Ivory's last film, Heat & Dust, 'The Bostonians' is a literary work with exquisite production values. Walter Lassally provides luxuriant cinematography. And Jenny Beavan & John Bright's costumes are absolutely beautiful. Nancy Marchand impresses as a pushy society matron. Jessica Tandy makes an impression as Mrs. Birdseye, leader of New England's women's movement. And I liked good 'ole Linda Hunt as a doctor who has some interesting insights into sexual politics. It's interesting to see all the different sides of Boston's social life during that time {1860-70s} ... a time when women were 'waking up', but still didn't have the prowess to make assertive change (personally or societally).
I wasn't as enamored by Madeleine Potter as Verena. She just comes across a tad listless. It's a slight problem, but a problem in any case; considering that her performance is pivotal in alluring both Olive AND Basil (a very handsome gentleman). Verena is meant to be bewitching. And so, Vanessa Redgrave & Christopher Reeve has to work overtime to create chemistry where there is little. Thankfully, we rely on Redgrave's brilliant depiction of Olive, the Puritanical spinster who loathes men & longs for 'close' female companionship. Redgrave is incredible; delicate, headstrong & wholly inhabits this very enigmatic, complex character. And though she comes across villain-like, you feel for her because whether or not her feelings for Verena are sexual ... they're feelings, nevertheless.
In a time when there was no discussion of lesbianism (and such), Olive must have felt trapped in her time; with no ammunition to face society's social mores. She, along with the other characters in this love triangle can't seem to open up about their true feelings. That's pretty tragic, really. I also enjoyed Christopher Reeve as Basil; a man who perfectly embodies domineering masculinity, arrogance & persuasive love. So while 'The Bostonians' has its issues (casting), and it is slowww to unfold ... it's also a beautiful, intelligent & subtle film about an interesting little slice of American history.