"A Room with a View" is certainly a film rarity, in that this adaptation fully lives up to an expectations set by E.M. Forster's classic novel. The film is set during the Edwardian period, a time marked by the replacing of Victorian ways with more liberal ideals. This idea is personified by the static characters of freethinking George Emerson (Julian Sands) and prudish Cecil Vyse (Daniel Day Lewis). Between these two extremes, we find our heroine Lucy Honeychurch (Helena Bonham-Carter), a young woman with a zest for life, but unsure of exactly what to do with it. In referencing her skills at the piano, one character puts it quite nicely, "If Miss Honeychurch ever takes to live as she plays, it will be very exciting- both for us and her." It proves to be exciting for the audience too, as we watch her coming of age through fascinating interactions with both fiancée Cecil, and George, the young man she meets while abroad in Italy.
It certainly doesn't hurt that these interactions are staged against some of the most beautiful scenery ever seen on the screen. Watching segments of the film with no sound could serve as an effective travelogue for Florence, Italy or Surrey, England. Of course that is just an added bonus, as it is Forster's characters who make the film come so alive. In addition to the three points of the love triangle, veteran actors such as Judi Dench, Denholm Elliot, and Maggie Smith give such performances that upon rereading the novel, I suspect it would be an impossible task to imagine these characters any other way. In addition to the perfect ensemble cast, directing/producing team Ismail Merchant and James Ivory give absolute proficiency to their adaptation of the novel. All the right scenes are there. (We forgive them for a slight alteration to the classic "kiss in field of violets" scene, as violets were not in season during production.) Dialogue is taken directly from the pages of the novel. And they show boldness in their unrestrained filming of a playful skinny-dipping sequence. I suppose it would be hypocritical to shoot a scene lampooning repression in a repressed manner, however.
The basic story of "A Room with a View" is one which may have been told before, but like that special parent or teacher we all had growing up, this film tells that story better than anyone else could ever hope to. Its characters, their sensibilities, and their nuances enchant us. The entire production is a shining example of period film-making and the finished product is one worthy of repeated viewings. It truly gets better each time you see it. You'll notice more too. For instance, pay attention to Lucy's love scenes with her two men, particularly what transpires and whether they take place in or out of doors. It is a testament to the adapters, that other such literary elements from the novel remain intact here. In short, Forster laid the blueprint from which these filmmakers built a tour de force.
It certainly doesn't hurt that these interactions are staged against some of the most beautiful scenery ever seen on the screen. Watching segments of the film with no sound could serve as an effective travelogue for Florence, Italy or Surrey, England. Of course that is just an added bonus, as it is Forster's characters who make the film come so alive. In addition to the three points of the love triangle, veteran actors such as Judi Dench, Denholm Elliot, and Maggie Smith give such performances that upon rereading the novel, I suspect it would be an impossible task to imagine these characters any other way. In addition to the perfect ensemble cast, directing/producing team Ismail Merchant and James Ivory give absolute proficiency to their adaptation of the novel. All the right scenes are there. (We forgive them for a slight alteration to the classic "kiss in field of violets" scene, as violets were not in season during production.) Dialogue is taken directly from the pages of the novel. And they show boldness in their unrestrained filming of a playful skinny-dipping sequence. I suppose it would be hypocritical to shoot a scene lampooning repression in a repressed manner, however.
The basic story of "A Room with a View" is one which may have been told before, but like that special parent or teacher we all had growing up, this film tells that story better than anyone else could ever hope to. Its characters, their sensibilities, and their nuances enchant us. The entire production is a shining example of period film-making and the finished product is one worthy of repeated viewings. It truly gets better each time you see it. You'll notice more too. For instance, pay attention to Lucy's love scenes with her two men, particularly what transpires and whether they take place in or out of doors. It is a testament to the adapters, that other such literary elements from the novel remain intact here. In short, Forster laid the blueprint from which these filmmakers built a tour de force.