Customer Reviews

Daisy Miller [VHS]

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Peter Bogdanovich chose to make an historical costume film in 1973 against all commerical and critical trends, yet looking at his earlier films, Last Picture Show, What's Up Doc, and Paper Moon, it's not hard to say that all he did direct were historical films--even What's Up Doc has it's roots in the 1930's. Henry James portrait of the quintessential American girl of 1876 struck many as anachronistic, and further allowed the animus arising from Bogdanovich's and Shephard's personal lives cloud their judgement about this film.

I think they are all wrong. Cybil Shephard does a remarkable job as Daisy Miller, capturing every maddening nuance that James wrote in his novel. Her performance is shaded, funny, and moving, especially among the group of talented actors surrounding her on this film. In fact, there is no performer who is miscast or does poorly in the film.

A large part of the reason this film works so well is that Bogdanovich and Frederic Raphael stuck closley to James' original text, adding little and fleshing out only in a few key scenes. The use of the actual places James set the story also add the force of the work.

I like this film better than the Ivory-Merchant versions of Henry James -The Bostonians - The Europeans - mainly because, unlike Bogdanovich - they seem to have little joy in the actual shooting of a film, whereas Bogdanovich's shot choice and blocking stem from his love of cinema and his knowledge of the art.

Daisy Miller is a lost film which anyone interested in the art should watch. Reading the James novel before viewing this helps, but this film captures the book so well, reading the James may not be as necessary as for other adaptations. The director's commentary is not to be missed either; Bodganovitch is wry, fatalistic, proud, and erudite all at once. One theme that runs constant betweent the film and commentary is how many of the people involved in the film died young, which is funny in a deeply cosmic way.

When I teach Daisy Miller, I will show this film.

Cybilll Shepherd shines in this adaption of Henry James's story, "Daisy Miller." She gives an authentic performance as an American girl who is not wise to the ways of gentile society. You feel for her as she continues to make mistakes in this group of "aristocrats." Bogdanovich caputres the period remarkably well, and the cinematography is breathtaking. The Late Barry Brown, Cloris LEachman, Eileen Brennan and Mildred Natwick are on hand in supporting performances. This is an underrated gem that is ripe for discovery.

After reading about the bad press that this film received when it opened, I was quite reluctant to watch it but I loved the story too much not to. I'm glad I decided to do so, the film is beautifully filmed (mostly on location)and beautifully costumed, with a very good cast. The supporting players are superb especially Cloris Leachman and Mildred Natwick. The two leads took some more time to get used to. Possibly because I always expect people to speak with British accents in period pictures, I initially found their Midwestern sounding accents quite jarring and anachronistic. That feeling never entirely faded until the last third of the film. Cybill Sheperd speaks incredibly fast, but as Bogdanovich explains on the commentary track, this was how women spoke back then and how the character spoke in the book. Nevertheless, it is quite jarring. Cybill Sheperd really does a very good job as Daisy Miller,though, especially in those shots where she doesn't speak but merely looks at Winterbourne, she really communicates everything the character feels and is through those looks. Barry Brown didn't seem to me to fit the role of a sophisticated gentleman, but he and Shepard do have some chemistry. This is really a very good film, 4 for the film itself but along with the excellent commentary by Bogdanovich the DVD, it deserves a 5.

Peter Bogdanovich's screen version of the classic Henry James novella DAISY MILLER, originally panned and dismissed by most film critics upon it's original release in 1974, has now thankfully started to receive the recognition and praise that it justly deserves. No doubt this new DVD release will be welcomed by fans and embraced by newcomers alike as they enter Daisy's magical world.

Cybill Shepherd stars as an upper-class American girl on holiday in Europe circa. 1876, who falls in love with expatriate Winterbourne (Barry Brown) a cold and detached man who does not (or cannot) register or return her feelings of admiration and love. Daisy's free-spirited lifestyle clashes with the social sensibilities of the era as she exposes her family to scandal and disgrace. Some fine support from Cloris Leachman, Eileen Brennan, Mildred Natwick, Duilio Del Prete; and lavish location footage from Switzerland and Italy add immeasurably to the story.

At the time of the original release, much of the critical poison was aimed unfairly at Cybill Shepherd (Bogdanovich's partner and protege at the time), who was actually perfect casting for the title role. If one goes back to the Henry James story and then revisits the movie, the similarities are innumerable. Shepherd personifies James' heroine to a tee and gives a mesmerising performance.

Paramount's DVD includes a new interview with director Peter Bogdanovich, as well as an audio commentary with him.

I came to this film not as a fan of costume drama but to examine all aspects of director Peter Bogdanovich's repertoire. I'm convinced that Bogdanovich was at least 15 or 20 years ahead of his time before this genre became vogue among cineastes. This filmization of Henry James' novella would make a terrific trifecta with Martin Scorsese's "The Age of Innocence" and another adaptation of James, "The Wings of the Dove". I'm more than convinced that Bogdanovich's relationship with his star, Cybill Shepherd, soured critics and audiences into giving this film a fair shot. This is unfortunate because Shepherd is more than terrific as Daisy, perfectly capturing the impulsiveness and innocence of a young girl whose apparent actions flaunt the conventions of "proper society". Barry Brown as Winterbourne perfectly captures the stodginess of his character but does by no means deliver a stiff performance. The supporting cast(Cloris Leachman, Eileen Brennan, Mildred Natwick, James McMurtry) are impeccable. If ever a film deserves to be re-evaluated "Daisy Miller" is it. As an aside I wish they would release on DVD a couple of other alleged Bogdanovich bombs from the seventies, "At Long Last, Love" and "Nickelodeon"

What a stupid movie! Cybil Shepard talks WAY too fast to enjoy any of her dialog. The point of the movie is to show how uppety high society could be back then but I couldn't help but agree with them! The things she did were just wierd and tooo flirty. It is a g rating so it is viewable by the whole family but I wouldn't recommend this movie to any one!

It seems people either love this film or hate it. I stand, somewhat in the middle. The movie is an adaptation of Henry James' 1878 novella of the same name. James had a great idea for his novella. The plot sets Daisy Miller, an unconventional young American against the norms of Victorian era society. Is she an innocent free spirit or a woman on the road to social ruin and scandal--or both?

The movie was filmed in the beautiful locations James mentions in the story. The director, Peter Bogdanovich, did an excellent job in setting the scenes. The cinematography is excellent. Cybill Shepherd is lovely and the acting is generally superior.

The problem with this film is that, as the movie progressed, I began to wonder what Frederick Winterbourne, the point of view character in the novella, saw in Daisy. Why would he continue to pursue Daisy as she sent him mixed signals and flirted with every young man who crossed her path? Henry James wrote Daisy as a not particularly bright girl but, in the movie, Cybill Shepherd plays her as an airhead chatterbox.

For fans of period movies this is one you will want to see but will probably not often watch.

Kyle Pratt

This is one of the greatest film made by Peter Bogdanovich. Daisy Miller is a profond, deep and sad movie. Made in the style of George Cukor. Better than the novel written by Henry James. There are so wonderfull scenes in that movie, like when Daisy Miller sings "When You and I Where Young Maggie". The cast is perfect, Cybill Shepherd, Eileen Breenan, Mildred Natwick, George Morfogen and the great Barry Brown. Daisy Miller is perfect, an incredible masterpiece. Peter Bogdanovich is one of a greatest filmmaker.

Peter Bogdanovich's 1974 adaptation of Henry James's novella doesn't follow standard period-picture protocol. Though faithful to its source, "Daisy Miller" has an old-fashioned Hollywood feel, showing the influence of Howard Hawks and Orson Welles.

As the hapless Daisy, Cybil Shepherd delivers her dialogue in a snappy style reminiscent of classic screwball comedy. Barry Brown, Eileen Brennan, Cloris Leachman and especially Mildred Natwick shine in supporting roles. Since the story deals with Americans abroad, you won't hear many British accents in the cast. Their absence may prove disconcerting to some viewers.

Extras are few but choice. Bogdanovich provides a brief interview explaining the film's genesis, as well an audio commentary that focuses on its ties to his earlier Oscar-winner "The Last Picture Show."

I've seen several film adaptations of Henry James' works, and Peter Bogdanovich's "Daisy Miller" is far and away the best.

First, it is the most faithful to the original; that authenticity may have been the source of much of the negative reaction, especially the criticism of Cybill Shepherd's performance. Anyone who has read the novella will note how she captured Daisy to perfection: the eyelash batting, parasol twirling, frill patting, chattering late Victorian era flirt. After all, it's Daisy's social demeanor, outward appearance and status--newly moneyed, pretty, vulgar, American provincial--that sets up her conflict with the snobby, envious, American expatriate society, with tragic results.

Second, the late Barry Brown gave an outstanding performance as the wealthy, cultured, European educated, American expatriate Winterbourne who can't quite figure out whether Daisy is reckless or innocent, or, according to the old double standard, a "good girl" or a "bad girl." Unfortunately, he is overly influenced by his own preconceived notions, guilty conscience and the self-serving dirt dished out by his aunt, a lady so exclusive she's practically a society of one, and the jealous society lady, Mrs. Walker. Misunderstandings,lost opportunities, envy, guilt and innocence, life after the fall -- Henry James' themes have never been better explored.

Third, Shepherd and Brown were superb, and so was the supporting cast, including Mildred Natwick,Cloris Leachman and Eileen Brennan.

Fourth, this is one of the most beautiful films ever made. The cinematography--almost all the scenes were shot on location in Switzerland and Italy--is nothing short of brilliant. The attention to detail--period costumes, furnishings, music--is astonishing. Moreover, much of the film was shot in long takes, with a minimum of editing and close-ups used only when most effective for dramatic emphasis. It's a great lesson in the art of film-making.

Finally, the DVD, now unfortunately out of print, is pristine, with first-rate color and sound. It also has Bogdanovich's interview and commentary which, among other things, sets forth his deep understanding of James' story.

Anyone who likes Henry James and writers of that period, especially James' friend Edith Wharton, or who just appreciates great story-telling, acting and film-making, will not be disappointed.