PASSION'S WAY
Passion's Way is a television movie version of Edith Wharton's 1912 novel, THE REEF. "We're ships broken on a reef." The novel was panned by critics and Wharton herself regretted having both written it and published it.
The novel makes use of two human interactions of the period: taking appearances at face value; an unwillingness to communicate true thoughts and feelings. The author uses the fictional device of "coincidence" on which to structure her plot. Master authors such as Henry James can use this device expertly and judiciously, as he did in THE GOLDEN BOWL. Miss Wharton however uses it to the point of disbelief.
A bit about the plot - and with spoiler button pressed - as one cannot discuss this plot without laying it out fully. Anna Leath and Charles Darrow were drawn to each other in the past. She, afraid of passion, chose to marry a "safe" man rather than Darrow. Now she, a widow, and he meet again. He is to join her in France, but a lack of full communication on her part leads him to doubt her and, in his depression, he has an affair with a young American woman, Sophy Viner, in Paris. Sophy not only has wound up in the Leath household as governess to Anna's daughter, but she is betrothed to Anna's stepson, Owen. Coincidence upon unbelievable coincidence.
Thence forward it is a matter of lies upon lies and subterfuge so that no one guesses the truth. Of course, it all comes out in the end, and Anna must choose between a flawed Charles or no Charles at all.
The tv movie version, titled PASSION'S WAY, was filmed in the Czech Republic, a joint effort between that country, Germany, and the USA, in 1996, but not released to television until 1999. It is a well-done drama with good performances and good direction by Robert Ackerman. Timothy Dalton as Darrow and Sela Ward as Anna perform well and Alicia Witt is properly emotional and torn as Sophy. In but thirteen brief scenes Leslie Caron brings the proper piece of class and sophistication to a somewhat tawdry story. However, it is young Jamie Glover as stepson Owen, who steals the film. His character is the most emotionally hurt and torn, his engagement with Sophy destroyed by the lies and subterfuge of those around him. He gives a stunning supporting performance, worthy of an Emmy nomination.
The character of Darrow is difficult to like. He is a cheat, a liar and a coward, making much use of subterfuge. These traits cause his failure in being able to win over the audience's regard. This is in the Wharton writing, not in Dalton's fine performance.
The point of the film is to bring puritanical people off their pedestals and accept that life is an uneven, oftentimes dirty, mess, to learn to forgive and forget. "Life is a perpetual piecing together of broken pieces."
The film, which clocks in at 1:29:45 (not the 88 minutes posted on IMDB), is very murky and out of focus - this derived from the only dvd version available in the past (a PAL all region transfer). It is now only available on computer download, not as a saleable dvd.
One always wonders at sound edited bird song in these productions, where I heard two strictly New World birds (loon and mourning dove) on the tracks supporting the French countryside. But no matter.
Recommended to view once or twice, but of no great importance in either the Wharton film representations or in adaptations of literary classics.
Passion's Way is a television movie version of Edith Wharton's 1912 novel, THE REEF. "We're ships broken on a reef." The novel was panned by critics and Wharton herself regretted having both written it and published it.
The novel makes use of two human interactions of the period: taking appearances at face value; an unwillingness to communicate true thoughts and feelings. The author uses the fictional device of "coincidence" on which to structure her plot. Master authors such as Henry James can use this device expertly and judiciously, as he did in THE GOLDEN BOWL. Miss Wharton however uses it to the point of disbelief.
A bit about the plot - and with spoiler button pressed - as one cannot discuss this plot without laying it out fully. Anna Leath and Charles Darrow were drawn to each other in the past. She, afraid of passion, chose to marry a "safe" man rather than Darrow. Now she, a widow, and he meet again. He is to join her in France, but a lack of full communication on her part leads him to doubt her and, in his depression, he has an affair with a young American woman, Sophy Viner, in Paris. Sophy not only has wound up in the Leath household as governess to Anna's daughter, but she is betrothed to Anna's stepson, Owen. Coincidence upon unbelievable coincidence.
Thence forward it is a matter of lies upon lies and subterfuge so that no one guesses the truth. Of course, it all comes out in the end, and Anna must choose between a flawed Charles or no Charles at all.
The tv movie version, titled PASSION'S WAY, was filmed in the Czech Republic, a joint effort between that country, Germany, and the USA, in 1996, but not released to television until 1999. It is a well-done drama with good performances and good direction by Robert Ackerman. Timothy Dalton as Darrow and Sela Ward as Anna perform well and Alicia Witt is properly emotional and torn as Sophy. In but thirteen brief scenes Leslie Caron brings the proper piece of class and sophistication to a somewhat tawdry story. However, it is young Jamie Glover as stepson Owen, who steals the film. His character is the most emotionally hurt and torn, his engagement with Sophy destroyed by the lies and subterfuge of those around him. He gives a stunning supporting performance, worthy of an Emmy nomination.
The character of Darrow is difficult to like. He is a cheat, a liar and a coward, making much use of subterfuge. These traits cause his failure in being able to win over the audience's regard. This is in the Wharton writing, not in Dalton's fine performance.
The point of the film is to bring puritanical people off their pedestals and accept that life is an uneven, oftentimes dirty, mess, to learn to forgive and forget. "Life is a perpetual piecing together of broken pieces."
The film, which clocks in at 1:29:45 (not the 88 minutes posted on IMDB), is very murky and out of focus - this derived from the only dvd version available in the past (a PAL all region transfer). It is now only available on computer download, not as a saleable dvd.
One always wonders at sound edited bird song in these productions, where I heard two strictly New World birds (loon and mourning dove) on the tracks supporting the French countryside. But no matter.
Recommended to view once or twice, but of no great importance in either the Wharton film representations or in adaptations of literary classics.