The Portrait of a Lady (1967)

poor

The acting was stunted and not smooth. I have to admit I did not watch the entire production - I could not stand it. March 13, 2008

Stagebound Adaptation of a Classic

This television movie was very popular at the time of its release in 1968, now its luster has somewhat diminished and may only appeal to those familiar with the story. Nevertheless, it's worth the while. This interpretation is a much more faithful version of Henry James's novel than Jane Campion's 1996 version (with its talking beans and bewildering title sequence featuring what seemed to be a contemporary day in the woods for a women's college), yet it's that same faithfulness that is also its biggest weak spot.

The opening third of the novel has often been criticized as being slow; while it sets up the characters well, the true story doesn't gain momentum until Isabel meets Madame Merle and goes to Florence. The first hour is a bit slow, (even though I don't really have a problem with the opening of the novel) and it took me a while to warm up to Suzanne Neve as Isabel. I found Neve to be the strongest after Isabel marries Gilbert Osmond and she matures. I also had to think of this production as a stage play because the directing style reflects that: characters have their backs turned to the person they're addressing, the acting style is overemphatic but by the second hour, I got over the bad American accents and found myself enjoying it immensely.

It's interesting to note that both filmed versions of "Portrait" have never told the story to the very last pages. I think a lot of people have problems with Isabel's final decision, and it would bring down the viewers, as it has many readers. We want Isabel to have much more hopeful future than James gave to her. March 29, 2007

Like a high school production.....

I checked this out at the library and egads..what junk! I am a huge fan of period movies and have seen almost every one out there more than once. So coming across a new one I hadn't seen before, I was quite excited.

What a disappointment! The set were very fake, like obvious fake backdrops in the garden and trees. The costumes were a joke. Something a high school seamstress got up. And least of all the stilted and atrocious acting.

I couldn't sit through more than 30 min. of this. I fast forwarded to other parts, just as HORRIBLE.

If you can check it out at a library, go for it and see. Don't buy it and be extremely disappointed! April 24, 2006

Good Companion to Campion's Version

I was drawn to this 4-hour BBC version because I found that Jane Campion's highly stylized 2-hour version--while beautiful and lyrical--omitted major points of the story that the viewer really must know the novel to fill in any missing gaps. For instance, I found that the Campion version didn't fully address *why* Isabel would be drawn to Gilbert Osmond. In my opinion, this BBC version gives more time to their courtship and at least offers up a more plausible reason. Another shortcoming of the Campion film is that it truncated Caspar Goodwood's part, making it difficult to follow the full arc of Caspar's and Isabel's relationship. On the other hand, I like Campion's ending better because it features Isabel's and Caspar's final scene together, which is quite poetic in its own right. The BBC version ends with just the final, poignant scene between Isabel and her cousin, Ralph.

Another major difference between the two films is how the part of Gilbert Osmond was played. I had a little difficulty watching John Malkovich in the Campion version because I thought he played it too closely to his brilliant Valmont character in "Dangerous Liaisons," which actually spoiled the fun. You knew immediately where this character was going. The actor in the BBC version, I thought, played the role with perfect pitch, slowly revealing Osmond's deviousness.

As for Cousin Ralph, both Richard Chamberlain (BBC version) and Martin Donovan (Campion version) did a wonderful job with their roles. You couldn't wait for either one of them to reappear on the screen.

All in all, both film versions have something to offer and I recommend each as a complement to the other. May 31, 2005

IF YOU HAVE BEEN HATED - YOU HAVE ALSO BEEN ADORED!

Who can resist the wonderful novels by Henry James, and the intriguing characters they inspire? The role of Ralph Touchett is one of Richard Chamberlain's finest performances. Give him a character named Ralph, and he seems to become magnificent. His performance, in this wonderful British mini-series was so noteworthy, it captured the attention of Peter Dews, who cast him in Hamlet, (another outstanding performance) and later, the controversial Ken Russell, would give him the starring role as Peter Tchaikovsky, in his visually stimulating masterpiece, The Music Lovers. Being familiar with all the works of the talented and versatile Richard Chamberlain, I continue to favor this outstanding performance. Portrait Of A Lady opened a door, through which the sweet Dr. Kildare exited, and Richard Chamberlain, the acclaimed classical stage and film actor, emerged.

Ralph Touchett was the rich, but sickly cousin of Isabel Archer, suffering with Consumption, a terminal condition, which caused him to take a back seat in life as a spectator. Determined to meet the requirements of his imagination, he invested in his cousin Isabel, giving her half of his vast inheritance. This investment came with a no strings attached freedom, to pursue her mysterious purposes and fulfill her unconventional desires.
Ralph's faith in her was challenged as he watched her make a disasterous choice in a husband, who married her for the money she inherited. Ralph's physical suffering was trivial compared to the pain he felt when his spirited cousin no longer soared, but sank into a deep unhappiness.

On his deathbed, Richard delivered some of the most memorable lines of his career. As Isabel confesses her mistake to her gentle and generous cousin, Ralph tells her he always understood, that she needed to look at life for herself, and that hers was a generous mistake. He assures her, it would only hurt for awhile, for if she has been hated, she has also been ADORED! These words meant more to me, after reading Richard's best selling book, SHATTERED LOVE. This beloved actor, spent most of his life, fearing he would be hated...when all the while...he has been ADORED! July 9, 2004

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