A Room with a View is Merchant-Ivory's celebrated 1985 adaptation of E. M. Forster's classic novel of the same name. Costume dramas based on works of literature are ten-a-penny in British cinema, but A Room with a View stands out amongst them, partly because of the careful adaptation of the source material, partly because of the acting, and partly because of James Ivory's characteristically thoughtful direction.
Forster's novel is both a romance and a critique of society at the time, both traits common to most of his novels. Unlike, for example, A Passage to India, it is largely gentle (the stabbing of an unnamed Italian man aside), with a plot that focuses entirely on the love affair between the two main protagonists and with a happy ending for pretty much everyone; even Lucy Honeychurch's spurned fiancé Cecil grudgingly accepts that she has correctly analysed his faults when she breaks off their engagement. Forster's criticism of the conventions and constrictions of polite society are equally gentle: no biting satire this, but rather a quiet and humours exploration of the etiquette that prevents people from openly saying how they feel.
The story sees the aforementioned Lucy on holiday in Florence with her mother's friend Charlotte Bartlett; she meets a young man named George Emerson when George's father overhears Lucy and Charlotte bemoaning their lack of a room with a view and offering - in a rather eccentric fashion - to swap. Love soon starts to blossom between Lucy and George but is quickly aborted when she returns to England and becomes engaged to Cecil, until fate conspires to bring them into each other's orbit once again. Regular Merchant-Ivory collaborator Ruth Prawer Jhabvala wrote the screenplay, which won her an Oscar; she does a fine job of adapting Forster's prose and also retains his wry sense of humour. There are explorations of class, with Cecil claiming that there should be no class divides and decrying snobbery, despite the fact that he is, himself, a snob. The naked bathing scene is hilarious, especially when the three men are disturbed by Lucy's party and the Reverend Mr. Beebe tries unsuccessfully to sneak surreptitiously away with his modesty intact.
Forster's excellent characterisation carries through and is realised by a superb cast of seasoned British thespians that includes Maggie Smith as Charlotte Bartlett, Denholm Elliot as Mr Emerson, Daniel Day-Lewis as Cecil Vyse, and Judi Dench as Eleanor Lavish. Simon Callow plays the Reverend Mr Beebe, whilst a young Rupert Graves appears as Freddy Honeychurch. Day-Lewis is unrecognisable, although Denholm Elliot almost steals the show as the wonderfully irascible Mr Emerson. Helena Bonham-Carter and Julian Sands are cast in the lead roles of Lucy and George and both give captivating performances.
Above all however, A Room with a View is a visually beautiful film. James Ivory's mise-en-scéne is as meticulous as it is always is and the location filming in Florence, London and Kent looks gorgeous. Tony Pierce-Roberts provides the cinematography, which helps to make Florence in particular as a much a character as any of the people in the film; the scene in which Lucy witnesses a young man being stabbed, before she faints, is magnificently shot, the close-up of the young man's face as blood flows from his mouth strangely beautifully and horrible at the same time. In a touch that reflects the structure of the novel, Ivory occasionally uses on screen titles to divide the film up into thematic chapters. The soundtrack by Richard Robbins with a little help from Puccini sung by Kiri Te Kanawa completes the picture. Merchant-Ivory made many stunning pictures, some of them arguably weightier or more important than A Room with a View; the fact that it remains so highly regarded amongst the rest of work is perhaps due to the fact that it is flawlessly made and utterly delightful.
Forster's novel is both a romance and a critique of society at the time, both traits common to most of his novels. Unlike, for example, A Passage to India, it is largely gentle (the stabbing of an unnamed Italian man aside), with a plot that focuses entirely on the love affair between the two main protagonists and with a happy ending for pretty much everyone; even Lucy Honeychurch's spurned fiancé Cecil grudgingly accepts that she has correctly analysed his faults when she breaks off their engagement. Forster's criticism of the conventions and constrictions of polite society are equally gentle: no biting satire this, but rather a quiet and humours exploration of the etiquette that prevents people from openly saying how they feel.
The story sees the aforementioned Lucy on holiday in Florence with her mother's friend Charlotte Bartlett; she meets a young man named George Emerson when George's father overhears Lucy and Charlotte bemoaning their lack of a room with a view and offering - in a rather eccentric fashion - to swap. Love soon starts to blossom between Lucy and George but is quickly aborted when she returns to England and becomes engaged to Cecil, until fate conspires to bring them into each other's orbit once again. Regular Merchant-Ivory collaborator Ruth Prawer Jhabvala wrote the screenplay, which won her an Oscar; she does a fine job of adapting Forster's prose and also retains his wry sense of humour. There are explorations of class, with Cecil claiming that there should be no class divides and decrying snobbery, despite the fact that he is, himself, a snob. The naked bathing scene is hilarious, especially when the three men are disturbed by Lucy's party and the Reverend Mr. Beebe tries unsuccessfully to sneak surreptitiously away with his modesty intact.
Forster's excellent characterisation carries through and is realised by a superb cast of seasoned British thespians that includes Maggie Smith as Charlotte Bartlett, Denholm Elliot as Mr Emerson, Daniel Day-Lewis as Cecil Vyse, and Judi Dench as Eleanor Lavish. Simon Callow plays the Reverend Mr Beebe, whilst a young Rupert Graves appears as Freddy Honeychurch. Day-Lewis is unrecognisable, although Denholm Elliot almost steals the show as the wonderfully irascible Mr Emerson. Helena Bonham-Carter and Julian Sands are cast in the lead roles of Lucy and George and both give captivating performances.
Above all however, A Room with a View is a visually beautiful film. James Ivory's mise-en-scéne is as meticulous as it is always is and the location filming in Florence, London and Kent looks gorgeous. Tony Pierce-Roberts provides the cinematography, which helps to make Florence in particular as a much a character as any of the people in the film; the scene in which Lucy witnesses a young man being stabbed, before she faints, is magnificently shot, the close-up of the young man's face as blood flows from his mouth strangely beautifully and horrible at the same time. In a touch that reflects the structure of the novel, Ivory occasionally uses on screen titles to divide the film up into thematic chapters. The soundtrack by Richard Robbins with a little help from Puccini sung by Kiri Te Kanawa completes the picture. Merchant-Ivory made many stunning pictures, some of them arguably weightier or more important than A Room with a View; the fact that it remains so highly regarded amongst the rest of work is perhaps due to the fact that it is flawlessly made and utterly delightful.