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Where Angels Fear to Tread More at IMDbPro »

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25 out of 29 people found the following review useful:
Fake Ivory, 6 January 2006

Author: James Hitchcock from Tunbridge Wells, England

It is strange how an author can suddenly become flavour of the decade in the cinema after his or her works have been neglected by film-makers for years. Before the 1990s there had only ever been one feature film based on a Jane Austen novel, the 1940 version of "Pride and Prejudice". Since 1995 there have been filmed versions of "Sense and Sensibility", "Mansfield Park", "Persuasion", two of "Emma" and, most recently, another "Pride and Prejudice".

Before the great Austen cycle, there was a great E.M. Forster cycle. The first film ever based on one of his novels was David Lean's "A Passage to India" in 1984. Over the next eight years, filmed versions were made of four of his other five novels. (I wonder why "The Longest Journey", held by some to be Forster's most brilliant work, was neglected. Come to that, I wonder when the Jane Austen cycle is going to get round to "Northanger Abbey"). Of those four films, three ("A Room with a View", "Maurice" and "Howard's End") were made by the Merchant Ivory partnership. "Where Angels Fear to Tread" was the one exception.

Like "A Room with a View", the film deals with the British abroad in Italy. Lilia Herriton, a well-to-do English widow on holiday, meets, falls in love with and marries Gino, a handsome young Italian many years her junior. Her late husband's family are aghast at this development, partly because Gino is a foreigner and partly because they regard him as their social inferior. (Gino's father is a dentist, but it would seem that a hundred years ago this profession had less social prestige than it would today). Their misgivings are to some extent justified, because Gino proves to be a jealous, violent and unfaithful husband. When Lilia dies in childbirth her brother-in-law Philip and his sister Harriet decide to go to Italy to "rescue" the child and return it to England. They quickly realise, however, that for all his faults as a husband Gino is a devoted father to his son and will not give him up willingly. Harriet therefore decides to kidnap the boy, with disastrous results.

Most of Forster's novels deal with characters who either live abroad or who find themselves in circumstances outside their normal social environment, and it has been suggested that this theme of the "stranger in a strange land" is a reflection of his own situation as a homosexual forced by the laws and conventions of his times to hide his true nature. The English characters in "Where Angels Fear to Tread" react to their situation in a foreign land in different ways. The most relaxed is Philip, a sensitive intellectual who loves the country, although often more for its artistic and architectural heritage than for its people. Harriet, by contrast, is an obstinately prejudiced Englishwoman, who hates being abroad and behaves in the most arrogant, high-handed manner towards the Italians. Lilia is in an ambiguous position. There is a suggestion that her wealth all comes from her late husband who married beneath himself socially and that his family therefore tend to look down on her. She is at first enchanted by Italy, but this might be because she is treated there like a rich signora rather than like a poor relation. Her later difficulties in her marriage may be partly due to her inability to adapt to the differences between Italian and English customs.

Most of the leading actors had already appeared in other Forster adaptations- Judy Davis in "A Passage to India", Rupert Graves in "A Room with a View" and "Maurice" and Helena Bonham Carter in "A Room with a View". (She would also go on to appear in "Howard's End" the following year). The best performance, however, in my view was from Helen Mirren as Lilia. She was possibly slightly too old for the role, but nevertheless brought to it a touching pathos and tragic dignity.

Unfortunately, the film as a whole is a disappointment. There is too much that is never explained, especially why the Herritons are so obsessed by the idea of bringing Lilia's baby back to England when neither she nor the child is a blood-relation of theirs. Even more mysterious is the parallel mission to Italy undertaken by Lilia's friend Caroline Abbott. Another mystery occurs at the end of the film after Harriet's disastrous kidnapping attempt has resulted in the child's death. We learn that Gino has lied at the inquest in order to save them from the authorities, but we never learn exactly what he has said or why he should have behaved in such a generous way towards two people whom he has every reason to hate.

The other acting contributions, apart from Mirren's, are not distinguished. Helena Bonham Carter, who was good in "A Room with a View" and even better in "Howard's End" is wasted here as Caroline. Rupert Graves's Philip is weak, and Giovanni Guidelli's Gino is too much the eccentric foreigner. Although Forster clearly intended some satire at the expense of the snobbery and arrogance of the British abroad, Judy Davis plays Harriet as too unsympathetic, a sour-faced harridan who comes across as a pantomime villainess rather than a credible individual.

The film is made in a similar "heritage" style to the other Forster adaptations, with great attention to period detail and some loving photography of the Italian landscapes, but is nevertheless dull and lifeless. Like another reviewer I felt that this book might have worked better as a film if the Merchant Ivory team, who succeeded so well with "A Room with a View" and "Howard's End" had made it. Charles Sturridge's film just seems like an inferior imitation of their work, a piece of fake Ivory. 5/10

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23 out of 26 people found the following review useful:
~*Another Forster Classic Brought to Film*~, 2 April 2000

Author: Tanechka

Charles Sturridge's adaption of E.M. Forster's classic novel is well in line with such other greats as "Howards End", "A Room With a View", and "A Passage To India". As with all of Forster's work, "Where Angels Fear to Tread" treats the topic of Edwardian British society with poignancy and humour.

Cultures clash when Philip Herriton is forced by his mother to retrieve the only child of his dead sister-in-law, Lilia, from its Italian father. The baby represents both the English and Italian way of life, and the ensuing struggle over it is an analysis of just how futile our own nativist prejudices can be.

Such a sensitive topic is dealt with by a charming cast. Rupert Graves is perfect as a man transformed by his horrific experiences; Helen Mirren is both laughable and lamentable as the tragically flighty Lilia; Helena Bonham-Carter is the soul of goodness, and Judy Davis (a Forster veteran from "A Passage to India") provides comic relief as stuffy Harriet. These fine performances are matched with a beautiful score by Rachel Portman and even more beautiful Italian vistas courtesy of Mr. Sturridge.

Stimulating and provocative, I highly recommend this film to those interested in either Forsters' work or the imperialistic inclinations of the British circa 1900.

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14 out of 15 people found the following review useful:
Prissy Edwardians are overtaken by Italy's lush beauty and sensuality., 18 March 2006

Author: knagao-1 from United States

Where Angels Fear To Tread, a fine novel in its own right, is transferred to the big screen with wit and a painter's eye by the masterful Charles Sturridge. Against a backdrop rich in Edwardian England's own brand of stuffy propriety, we watch cultures and mores clash, with poignant, and occasionally hilarious results. Judy Davis delivers one of my top ten moments on film, a snit of epic self-righteousness, in a memorable scene at the opera. The beauty of the film lies in its fluid and compassionate depiction of the wrongheadedness and confusion which ensue when foreign travelers pack their own narrow values next to the toothpaste, granting themselves permission to brandish them in the face of every long-suffering local along the way. Luckily for us, the film is populated by a believable group of finely drawn characters, played by actors who simply could not be better cast.

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10 out of 10 people found the following review useful:
Absorbing, deft Forster adaptation, 6 March 2008

Author: Framescourer from London, UK

'Fools rush in where angels fear to tread' said Alexander Pope, which helpfully explains the subject of the title. The fools are an absurd English party looking to 'rescue' a baby from its Italian father (the party bound to its mother by the tenuous association of inheritance and acquaintance).

'Foolishness' also becomes a euphemism for repression in this disarmingly light period drama, a repression buried almost beyond scrutiny by the impressive Rupert Graves. His is the key, poignant role although his character is matched in script and execution by Helena Bonham Carter's slow-burning Caroline Abbott and the outstandingly dysfunctional Judy Davis. Helen Mirren is miscast, but luckily is little more than a trope - Giovanni Guidelli is also alien to this company but actually that's rather more to the point.

The film is described in a number of reviews as being 'sumputously filmed', or the like. This is not the case: it's rather simply filmed but in taking in the beautiful Tuscan town of San Gimignano both at a distance and close up cannot fail to seduce the characters and viewer alike. It also has one of the most succinct yet comprehensive sequences about the true nature of opera in a movie. 7/10

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10 out of 13 people found the following review useful:
Like stepping back in time, 8 February 2005

Author: Noelle Lawing from Florence South Carolina

The first time I watched this movie I kept saying to myself.. this movie seems so familiar.. Then I realized that I had read the book the summer before.. This is a great credit to the screenwriter and director as the story is followed precisely and each page is brought to life on the screen.. A must for Forester fans, Anglophiles or those who want to enjoy a true tale of human souls intertwined. The prejudices and self importance of the English upper class are superbly charactered by all.. You'll laugh , cry and wonder at their actions.. You will become part of them... This is definitely one that I will be adding to my "Sunday Night Movie and Tea" collection.

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10 out of 13 people found the following review useful:
Undiscovered Treasure, 14 June 2002
Author: SMHowley (SMHowley@hotmail.com) from Brooklyn, NY

The story is so tragic that this should be a hard-core drama, and parts of it are very poignant, but I also laughed hysterically. This is mainly due to Judy Davis' performance which is so priggish and delightful. Graves and Bonham-Carter played brother and sister in 'A Room With A View' and their chemistry carries over into this film quite well. The music is enchanting. All the way around, a great film.

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3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
Not the best Forster, but..., 3 May 2007

Author: lastliberal from United States

Where Angels Fear to Tread is not the best E. M. Forster novel to be written, and it is certainly not the best to be made into a movie, but it is well worth watching for another superb performance by Helena Bonham Cater and her supporting cast.

Rupert Graves (V for Vendetta) is excellent as an Edwardian aristocrat who becomes enchanted with the Italian way of living. Helen Mirrewn (The Queen) is equally good in her small role as the flighty Lilia. Judy Davis (Marie Antoinette , The Beak-up) provides the comic relief as a proper lady who cannot abide a half-English child being brought up by Italians.

It all makes for a good movie with fine performances.

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2 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
Where People Fall in Love..., 27 June 2010

Author: Marcin Kukuczka from Cieszyn, Poland

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Although Charles Sturridge's movie is based on the classical novel by E.M. Forster, one does not have to be knowledgeable about the literature of the period in order to like the film. The source novel seems to be marginalized in many reviews and, consequently, I do not intend to discuss the content of the movie and its faithfulness to the novel. What has caught my attention in Sturridge's movie, in particular, are the cast and the locations. Those seem to be the right spots where people fall in love with, where I fell in love with... the movie.

The cast are worth appreciation. Helen Mirren, who has gained great success and popularity thanks to many significant roles, also here supplies us with a particularly insightful portrayal as Lilia. Lilia is an Englishwoman who appears to be absolutely torn apart and, therefore, quite unhappy with her family and disappointed with her misalliance marriage with Gino Carella (Guido Guinelli). Nevertheless, she does not give up the struggle to live her own, short but genuine life... Another very interesting performance is offered by Helena Bonham Carter who, in 1991 when the role was given to her, was already acquainted with the genre after Ivory's ROOM WITH A VIEW. Here, she fits well as Caroline, a seemingly indifferent observer who opens herself masterfully in the end. Among the female roles, I would also make a note about Judy Davis (Harriet) who crafts well the depiction of coldness and reluctance to the foreign culture.

As for the male roles, Rupert Graves as Phillip, a cold English gentleman, and Guido Guinelli as Gino, a spontaneous Italian 'macho', are outstanding. In their characters, or more to say, in the contrasts between their natures, culture clash is convincingly depicted. Phillip is extremely cold and phlegmatic. He feels confused about any spontaneous behavior and rather thinks over the plans than takes quick steps. Gino, though extremely choleric and furious, is authentic, genuine and straightforward. He teaches others not to be ashamed of feelings. Although Phillip feels uncomfortable with this Italian authenticity at first, these features appear to take over in his life too. Consider certain points of the film where the two are particularly memorable, just to mention the opera scene, the evening at the cistern, or Gino's witty games with his sweet baby, the unfortunate victim of jealousy.

The locations of the film together with artistic features galore are worth high praise, too. Tuscany...that says for itself... Who hasn't seen many great films made in this pearl of Italy. Just to name a few: Audrey Wells' UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN, Bernardo Bertolucci's STEALING BEAUTY and Roberto Benigni's LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL. Tuscany is the certain aspect for any moving picture to be a breathtaking piece of art. In WHERE ANGELS FEAR TO TREAD, the views of medieval Siena and San Gimignano with the fabulous music by Rachel Portman make you fall in love with Italy in the similar manner as it happens with the characters. I particularly liked the moment of Lilia walking at the towers of San Gimignano. A place to fall in love with!

Summing it up, the artistic features make the film unique. As for the source novel, saying it is accurate would be nothing but a conjecture. I am not going to evaluate the movie in certain terms. All I want to say is: WHERE ANGELS FEAR TO TREAD is no masterpiece but a nice movie where you will find something for yourself. The delightful scenes, lovely Tuscan views, great performances to admire with a glass of Chianti in your hand. Only those who hardly know the pleasures of wine will reject it. Enjoy!

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4 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
Angels fed through a meat grinder, 25 July 2009

Author: T Y from United States

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Nearly unbearable chronicle of condescending, British, henpecking shrews in Italy. The point seems to be about watching people transpose their freakishly uptight values onto a different culture, but it's played so broadly that one "gets it" in the first scene and there seems to no point to the rest of it. These insufferable, condescending, moralizing, determined-to-be-miserable know-it-all martinet/harridans are incapable of realizing that the screeching incivility they deploy to uphold propriety is a much greater offence.

Judy Davis is a complete lunatic both in the role and in her performance choices. Why anyone would want to assay the "most evil, screwed-up, shrew ever depicted on film" escapes me. She rages like a dry drunk until a viewer would be overjoyed to see her pushed from a cliff, or kicked in the face by a horse. It's unfathomable why viewers have been asked to identify with these insufferable prigs or to consider their dilemma.

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8 out of 14 people found the following review useful:
Undiscovered Treasure, 14 June 2002
Author: SMHowley (SMHowley@hotmail.com) from Brooklyn, NY

The story is so tragic that this should be a hard-core drama, and parts of it are very poignant, but I also laughed hysterically. This is mainly due to Judy Davis' performance which is so priggish and delightful. Graves and Bonham-Carter played brother and sister in 'A Room With A View' and their chemistry carries over into this film quite well. The music is enchanting. All the way around, a great film.

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