THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY
Henry James' THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY (published in 1881) is considered to be his best work. It preceded two other popular novels similar in plot design (The Golden Bowl, The Wings of the Dove) by respectively 23 and 25 years. It reflects a complex fabric of relations and intentions, wishes and failures to fulfill those wishes, in which the characters are all too human and all too understandable.
The novel has been filmed only twice, first as a BBC mini-series in 1968 (winning a BAFTA Award for Set Design) and as a theatrically released film starring Nicole Kidman in 1996. The BBC production stretches over six installments, all running between 40 and 45 minutes (42, 45, 42, 44, 44, 43) totaling 4 hours and 20 minutes. The casting is impeccable.
Suzanne Neve, facially resembling actress Betsy Palmer and singer Doris Day, is bold, proud and independent in her interpretation of heroine, Isabel Archer. She is a new kind of 19th century woman, one with pluck, who intends to live on her own and not succumb to marriage. However naïve (her only alternative to marriage would be to work as a governess, seamstress or some such profession), she boldly pursues it and bring a blast of fresh air into the stolid lives around her. Even when her failure and burst illusions are evident to even herself, she proudly holds herself from others' pity. Not a well-known actress, but quite confident and fitting in the role.
Character roles are well filled: Beatrix Lehmann, acid and tart as a New England school marm, is perfect as aunt Lydia Touchett, who hopes to make a lady of her niece; Alan Gifford is warm and kindly as her much wiser uncle Daniel Touchett; Sarah Brackett is the brash and bold journalist Henrietta Stackpole; and Edward Fox is the kindly Lord Warburton, suitor to Isabel and who may have been the best match of the four men after her hand. These four supporting characters bring out facets of Isabel's character as she interacts with her destiny.
The only fly in the ointment is Ed Bishop's performance as Caspar Goodwood, the first of Isabel's suitors, who follows her to England from America and thence where she travels. He is played as a real sour puss, not only unattractive, but positively belligerent and nasty. He never makes of the character anyone in the audience could root for as a rival for Isabel's hand and hereby the performance fails utterly.
Moving into the shadowy world of the family wherein Isabel meets her sorry fate, James Maxwell is evil incarnate as the smarmy, Gilbert Osmond, lying, fawning and ingratiating himself into Isabel's life, simply to grasp her money, thereafter to show his true colors as a self-righteous, paranoid prig. Sharon Gurney, (daughter to fellow actress Rachel Gurney in real life) is properly confused and torn between her desires and her need to obey her tyrannical parent. Rachel Gurney herself (Upstairs Downstairs' Lady Marjorie) is in her own way as evil as her partner in crime, Osmond, in her portrayal of Madame Merle, but infiltrates and insinuates, rather than acting or accusing. She hopes to "manipulate" Isabel as she has everyone around her. This bit of casting is quite excellent as audiences can't help but associate Gurney with the much-loved character of Lady Marjorie and thereby the actress can pull off Madame Merle's subterfuge without giving the secret away until the end.
The two best performances in the work are those of Kathleen Byron as Countess Gemini, Osmond's sister, and Richard Chamberlain as Isabel's cousin, Ralph Touchett. Byron, who would later appear as Fanny in the BBC production of The Golden Bowl, is the only character with the key to the secret relationships working behind the scenes. It is she who finally bursts Isabel's naïve bubble by revealing the truths the latter has been too trusting to realize. It is a pivotal supporting performance and expertly delivered.
Chamberlain, who had to go to England to learn how to act after his success in American television roles, is perfect as the romantic and doomed Ralph. Facial expression, voice and extreme sensitivity are his tools and he makes of Ralph the one character we all really root for, the only one we really care about. One can get bored of Isabel's innocence, never of Ralph's belief in her.
The three plots of Portrait, Bowl and Wings all have to do with a pair of connivers who want money. In all three, their prey is a trusting American heiress. James works out diverse resolutions, but basically sticks in these three works to this same theme. A very interesting thesis paper could be made of this approach.
The great irony in Portrait is that two bold acts of good intention fail due to the impossibility of being able to fully know the heart and mind of the intended benefactor. Ralph bestows his half inheritance anonymously on Isabel, intending her to live a fabulous life with it. She in turn bestows her wealth on a husband she believes will live fabulously because of her gift. The error here is in her personality. She is too good, too kind, too trusting. She is taken in by a man who wants her money not to fulfill himself, but to sustain himself. She is superfluous to his design, merely a means to an end. Both Ralph and Isabel are foiled by the mistake of ultimately bestowing their wealth on an undeserving and conniving villain.
All in all, this BBC production is glorious to behold. The writing is superb, the acting and direction spot on, and the production values (sets and costumes) impeccable. Highly recommended for all fans of James and for those who love complex human drama superbly played.
Henry James' THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY (published in 1881) is considered to be his best work. It preceded two other popular novels similar in plot design (The Golden Bowl, The Wings of the Dove) by respectively 23 and 25 years. It reflects a complex fabric of relations and intentions, wishes and failures to fulfill those wishes, in which the characters are all too human and all too understandable.
The novel has been filmed only twice, first as a BBC mini-series in 1968 (winning a BAFTA Award for Set Design) and as a theatrically released film starring Nicole Kidman in 1996. The BBC production stretches over six installments, all running between 40 and 45 minutes (42, 45, 42, 44, 44, 43) totaling 4 hours and 20 minutes. The casting is impeccable.
Suzanne Neve, facially resembling actress Betsy Palmer and singer Doris Day, is bold, proud and independent in her interpretation of heroine, Isabel Archer. She is a new kind of 19th century woman, one with pluck, who intends to live on her own and not succumb to marriage. However naïve (her only alternative to marriage would be to work as a governess, seamstress or some such profession), she boldly pursues it and bring a blast of fresh air into the stolid lives around her. Even when her failure and burst illusions are evident to even herself, she proudly holds herself from others' pity. Not a well-known actress, but quite confident and fitting in the role.
Character roles are well filled: Beatrix Lehmann, acid and tart as a New England school marm, is perfect as aunt Lydia Touchett, who hopes to make a lady of her niece; Alan Gifford is warm and kindly as her much wiser uncle Daniel Touchett; Sarah Brackett is the brash and bold journalist Henrietta Stackpole; and Edward Fox is the kindly Lord Warburton, suitor to Isabel and who may have been the best match of the four men after her hand. These four supporting characters bring out facets of Isabel's character as she interacts with her destiny.
The only fly in the ointment is Ed Bishop's performance as Caspar Goodwood, the first of Isabel's suitors, who follows her to England from America and thence where she travels. He is played as a real sour puss, not only unattractive, but positively belligerent and nasty. He never makes of the character anyone in the audience could root for as a rival for Isabel's hand and hereby the performance fails utterly.
Moving into the shadowy world of the family wherein Isabel meets her sorry fate, James Maxwell is evil incarnate as the smarmy, Gilbert Osmond, lying, fawning and ingratiating himself into Isabel's life, simply to grasp her money, thereafter to show his true colors as a self-righteous, paranoid prig. Sharon Gurney, (daughter to fellow actress Rachel Gurney in real life) is properly confused and torn between her desires and her need to obey her tyrannical parent. Rachel Gurney herself (Upstairs Downstairs' Lady Marjorie) is in her own way as evil as her partner in crime, Osmond, in her portrayal of Madame Merle, but infiltrates and insinuates, rather than acting or accusing. She hopes to "manipulate" Isabel as she has everyone around her. This bit of casting is quite excellent as audiences can't help but associate Gurney with the much-loved character of Lady Marjorie and thereby the actress can pull off Madame Merle's subterfuge without giving the secret away until the end.
The two best performances in the work are those of Kathleen Byron as Countess Gemini, Osmond's sister, and Richard Chamberlain as Isabel's cousin, Ralph Touchett. Byron, who would later appear as Fanny in the BBC production of The Golden Bowl, is the only character with the key to the secret relationships working behind the scenes. It is she who finally bursts Isabel's naïve bubble by revealing the truths the latter has been too trusting to realize. It is a pivotal supporting performance and expertly delivered.
Chamberlain, who had to go to England to learn how to act after his success in American television roles, is perfect as the romantic and doomed Ralph. Facial expression, voice and extreme sensitivity are his tools and he makes of Ralph the one character we all really root for, the only one we really care about. One can get bored of Isabel's innocence, never of Ralph's belief in her.
The three plots of Portrait, Bowl and Wings all have to do with a pair of connivers who want money. In all three, their prey is a trusting American heiress. James works out diverse resolutions, but basically sticks in these three works to this same theme. A very interesting thesis paper could be made of this approach.
The great irony in Portrait is that two bold acts of good intention fail due to the impossibility of being able to fully know the heart and mind of the intended benefactor. Ralph bestows his half inheritance anonymously on Isabel, intending her to live a fabulous life with it. She in turn bestows her wealth on a husband she believes will live fabulously because of her gift. The error here is in her personality. She is too good, too kind, too trusting. She is taken in by a man who wants her money not to fulfill himself, but to sustain himself. She is superfluous to his design, merely a means to an end. Both Ralph and Isabel are foiled by the mistake of ultimately bestowing their wealth on an undeserving and conniving villain.
All in all, this BBC production is glorious to behold. The writing is superb, the acting and direction spot on, and the production values (sets and costumes) impeccable. Highly recommended for all fans of James and for those who love complex human drama superbly played.