Customer Reviews

The Bostonians

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is a solid, Merchant-Ivory screen adaptation of the Henry James novel of the same name. Set in the nineteenth century, shortly after the civil war, a young newcomer to the then nascent suffragette movement, Varena Tarrant (Madeleine Potter), captures the hearts of many with her eloquent, passionate oratory on the second class citizenry of women.

Olive Chancellor (Vanessa Redgrave), a wealthy Bostonian, is a patroness of the suffragette movement. Together with her southern cousin, the handsome and strapping Basil Ransom (Christopher Reeve), she goes to hear Varena speak. Both are entranced by Varena, and Olive takes her under her wing, trying to give her the polish she needs in order for Varena to take a prominent place of leadership within the women's movement.

Basil has other plans, as he is smitten. He pursues Varena relentlessly, with the objective of making her his wife and having her assume a traditional role within the framework of marriage. In his way stands Olive, who, though still in the closet, clearly has very strong and passionate feelings for Varena, who seems oblivious to Olive's true desires.

In the meantime, Varena expands her horizons and become a favorite on the lecture circuit. She captures the hearts of many young men along the way, much to Olive's dismay, including that of wealthy, Henry Burrage (Jon Van Ness), who is fully supportive of Varena's participation in the movement. His mother, Mrs. Burrage (Nancy Marchand), is very much aware that Olive is an impediment to the potential union of Henry and Varena. She tries to talk to Olive about a match between the two, only to have Olive immediately take Varena away in response to the threat that Henry poses.

Unfortunately for Olive, her cousin Basil is more persistent. To see who wins this tug of war for Varena's heart, one must see the movie. Vanessa Redgrave, who was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Olive Chancellor, gives a stunning performance as the sexually repressed, still in the closet, lesbian. Fearsome in her devotion to Varena, she passionately fights tooth and nail, within the constraints of the mores of the time, to keep Varena free of any romantic encumbrances with the opposite sex. Regdgrave does this with a deft touch, giving a beautiful and well-nuanced performance.

Madeleine Potter does the best that she can with the role of Varena, managing to imbue the character with a certain intelligence and sweetness. She lacks, however, the beauty, charm, and winsomeness necessary to convince the viewer that she can so passionately stir the hearts of so many. She also lacks the skill necessary to persuade the viewer see what is, obviously, not there.

Christopher Reed gives a credible, though not show stopping, performance in the role of Basil, Olive's rival for the affections of Varena. Nancy Marchand, on the other hand, gives a superb performance as Mrs. Burrage, the woman who, seeing what Olive is up to, plays a verbal cat and mouse game with her in hopes of having Olive see reason with respect to her son's suit for Varena's hand.

All in all, those who love period pieces should enjoy this one, if only for Vanessa Redgrave's brilliant performance. Unfortunately, this DVD does not offer much of anything by way of special features. It does not even provides a particularly good picture, as it is somewhat grainy in quality.

There is alot that does not readily meet the eye on just a one time viewing of this magnificently engaging adaptation of Henry James' novel.Merchant-Ivory has assembled an incredibly intelligent look at the American struggle for independence by focusing us back to "The Cradle of the Revolution"-Boston.It is 1875.The film commences with an organist thunderously improvising on the tune AMERICA:MY COUNTRY,'TIS OF THEE.A melodramatic stage has been set for us to view another American battle about to be waged;a war for women's rights as well as a knockdown-dragout fight between a triangle of players competing for rivaled affections as if for very life itself!.Verena is the seeming prize!Verena (Madeleine Potter) is a young and lovely innocent whose father has exploited her gifts of mesmerizing oratory.Verena has hardly ever been allowed to have an original thought of her own,and is prime fodder for the Suffragette Movement for women's rights.Olive (Vanessa Redgrave),a devout espouser for her sex, is overcome by Verena and strikes up a very clinging/domineering/teacher/ almost lover relationship with Verena in order to mold her into the speaker of the women's rights cause (something that Olive herself feels unqualified to do because of her looks and low image of self).Enter Basil (Christopher Reeves) who also is captivated by Verena,but not for her oratory,but for her desirability as a woman.Basil is a "Southern gentleman"who has definite ideas of a woman's role,definitely NOT in line with emancipation. These three duke it out with words,betrayals,emotional suicides ,yet all three end up winners,of sorts;Verena,finally choosing something for her own self, forsakes the movement and Olive which gives both Verena and Basil each other,but more importantly,Olive,when seemingly abandoned,rises to the ocassion,taking up the sword for the cause,and finds her own voice to speak for American women in bondage with just as much if not more passion than Verena ever could!.The film cleverly ends with the Revolutionary War tune BUNKER HILL as the credits roll.This song had been written to embolden the Colonials to fight even harder for their freedom after their defeat by the British.Thus, Olive will continue to fight for the ultimate prize of women's freedom despite losing the battle for Verena to Basil. GOOD STUFF!
An excellent companion film would be the PBS documentary NOT FOR OURSELVES ALONE:THE STORY OF ELIZABETH CADY STANTON & SUSAN B. ANTHONY.

Set in 1875, this Merchant-Ivory film focuses on the post-Civil War intellectual community of Boston and Cambridge, bringing to life the suffragist movement, which passionately involved many of its women. Verena Tarrant (Madeleine Potter) is a beautiful and charming young woman who draws large, paying crowds to hear her speak about "the just revolution," which would free women from their second class status. Though Verena describes herself as "only a girl, a simple American girl," her strength as a speaker quickly brings her to the attention of Olive Chancellor (Vanessa Redgrave), an older woman whose dedication to the movement, and eventually to Verena, is single-minded and all-consuming.

When Verena moves in with the overly protective Olive, Olive wants her to promise that she will never marry, but the inevitable happens. Basil Ransom (Christopher Reeve), Olive's cousin, arrives from the south, and is immediately smitten by Verena. Soon Verena must face the conflicts between her loyalties toward Olive and the movement, and her growing love for Basil.

The script by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, based on the novel by Henry James, brings the passionate commitment of the suffragists to life, and the direction by James Ivory shows the pervasive effects of the movement on both men and women, from Harvard students to elderly matriarchs and pioneering female doctors. The costumes, which were nominated for an Academy Award, and the settings in Boston's Back Bay drawing rooms and shore-side summer homes give a liveliness and reality to the period which James's own intricate, philosophical prose sometimes lacks. Supporting roles by Jessica Tandy, Linda Hunt, Wally Shawn, and Nancy Marchand add power and dramatic intrigue to the emotional tug-of-war for the soul of Verena.

Redgrave won an Academy Award nomination for her role as Olive, a woman whose need for the naive and somewhat simple Verena is overwhelming. Her fear of being left alone, her jealousy of the men who court Verena, and her desire to use Verena to advance her own suffragist message are beautifully acted. Madeleine Potter effectively conveys Verena's innocence, her almost child-like nature, and her growing awareness that she has some freedoms that she has never explored. Reeve, with his southern accent, is a bit difficult to understand at times, and his love scenes with Verena are wooden, lacking the spark which would have made them seem real. A fascinating period piece, the film lacks the philosophical depth of the novel but gains greatly in drama. Mary Whipple

Based on Henry James's novel, this movie is a satirical look at the women's emancipation movement around the turn of the century in general, and how one woman (played by Vanessa Redgrave) keeps another (Madeleine Potter) locked away for her own purposes. Unfortunately, the movie does not focus in on this irony strongly enough. Where the movie should be crystal clear in its intentions, it is instead soft-focused and wishy-washy. In addition, Christopher Reeve plays a lawyer who also becomes interested in Potter, setting up a dramatic love triangle. There are some powerful scenes between Reeve and Redgrave, but not enough of them. The period detail is well presented, but that's not enough to keep us fully engaged.

Only two years after "The Bostonians" was released, Merchant Ivory came out with "A Room with a View," a film that perfectly captured the wit and feel of E.M. Forster's novel. Unfortunately, the film version of "The Bostonians" doesn't succeed as well in capturing the ironic and satirical tone of Henry James' novel.

This film is played straight and is devoid of humor. True, it's hard to translate Henry James to the screen but if that were the film's only problem, it may have succeeded. But then there's the matter casting. Vanessa Redgrave turns in a decent performance as Olive Chancellor, who pines for the friendship of Verena Tarrant and possibly doesn't even realize the deeper reason for her desire. But when you come upon Verena Tarrant, you become confused as to why Olive is wasting her time. Madeleine Potter may be a fine actress in other roles, but she is misacast as Verena Tarrant, a young woman who captivates everybody around her with her oratory skills. Potter has none of the magnetism needed for the role, and therefore it's even more ridiculous that there is such a struggle for her soul between Olive and her sexist cousin, Basil. As Basil Ransom, Christopher Reeve may be trying to atone for the early 80s misfires like "Somewhere in Time," "Monsignor" and "Superman 3," but Reeve's stiff performance isn't credible. Perhaps the best performance in the film is by Jessica Tandy as Miss Birdseye, but she's onscreen far too short a time.

The film is also poorly edited. There are very few transitions between scenes so don't be surprised if a character is in day wear one second, and a nightgown in the next with no break. And the ending of the film is ridiculously abrupt with none of the power of James finale.

The film does rate three stars due to its beautiful period detail, but unfortunately, it's the only part of this misfire that really shines.

In my effort to watch all the movies listed in "The New York Times Guide to the Best 1000 Movies Ever Made" I have seen some classics, discovered (with the help of the NY "Times") some sleepers, and been bewildered by some clunkers. "The Bostonians" is close to belonging to the latter category. I confess that I have not been a fan of Henry James since I struggled as a teenager with "The Turn of the Screw". That book made me realize that I didn't care for 19th Century Literature (with the notable exception of the great Mark Twain). I was willing to see what a movie of a James book would be like. I came away with the impression that the movie is probably a lot better. The acting is reasonably good although I think that Christopher Reeves is miscast. What appalled me was that a movie about the origins of the modern Women's movement could be so attrociously depicted.

I'm no women's libber but there are real issues that were and still are involved within the evolving roles of men and women in society and "The Bostonians" succeeded in making a mockery of the whole movement. While little Miss Thespian is wowing the polite Boston Society in her effort to advance Women's Suffrage, a tall, dark, and (I suppose) handsome man is trying to get her to give it all up for the honor of being his stay-at-home wife. You'd think this is a no-brainer and, incredibly, I guess it turns out to be just that. In the process, the script and whatever other culprits there may be, give Vanessa Redgrave a role that seems to be to be tailored to show the strengths of a powerful and secure woman. Then they turn her into a wimpering incompetent who can't compete with Reeves's role as intellectually challenged man with no visible means of support. The inept way (how could it have been any worse???) that the film ends made me wonder what on earth was the point of making this movie???

Great sets and costumes don't make a great movie. However, they can wrap it up in such a pretty package that, with the adapted script of a "great" author, that sometimes we don't notice that the emporer has no clothes.

Whatever this film's artistic merits, they are severely marred by the poor picture quality. The film is too dark, making the night scenes barely visible. When transferring films from VHS (I assume the picture quality was better) to DVD the film should be enhanced not degraded.

Fifteen minutes into the movie, and it began skipping, blurring etc. Went on for another 30 minutes until the movie was unwatchable. Very frustrating that they would not have examined their product before offering it as in good condition...it definitely was NOT. They did refund my original purchase price though but not until I spent another few dollars sending it back to them. All in all, a waster of my time and money.

It's Boston, 1875, One hundred and thirty-three years have past. Eveything has changed.

This is an adaptation of a novel by Henry James, and the story begins with a meeting and lecture having to do with The Emancipation of Women -- a subject of some controversey -- and we are quickly enough introduced to all of the principal participants in the drama. These principals are played by Christopher Reeve, Vanessa Redgrave, Nancy Marchand, Jessica Tandy and Madelaine Potter. This is a passionate or passion-filled story, but couched in the forms of that distant age and it may seem slow and feckless to the casual viewer, but one should remember that the drama takes place before the invention of artificial modes of amplifying sensation. In POP music terms, the Merchant-Ivory method might be called accoustic.

The screenplay is eminently coherent and intelligent, and the settings and costumes are up to the high Merchant-Ivory standards; both beautiful and accurate in design and most evocative in the lighting style of the period.

Is this Time Travel? However you appoach this film, I feel sure that you will find experiencing it to be enriching and very much worth-while. 133 years have passed. Where sex is concerned, nothing has changed.

basically your basic merchant-ivory adaptation of yet another henry james novel. as usual, you get fine performances (christopher reeve, vanessa redgrave, nancy marchand, et al) in impressive sets imprisoned in a static screenplay and even more "leisurely" direction. i respect the merchant-ivory movies, but rarely (there ARE a few, like "remains of the day") enjoy them.