Our take
The fate of one’s financial, interpersonal, and physical desires are intertwined through marriage, and because of these sometimes conflicting needs, most people are willing to go past what they would like to acknowledge to win the affections of the person they believe would fulfill them. Henry James’ 1902 novel The Wings of the Dove is centered on this idea, but the 1997 film adaptation softens the leads, with the striking dynamic between Helena Bonham Carter, Alison Elliott, and Linus Roache feel like it was bound with some genuine affection, mixed alongside the self-centered desires present in the novel. Readers of the original book might not appreciate this change, but overall The Wings of the Dove paints an interesting interpretation to the classic novel, and does so with all the flair standard in British period romance dramas.
Streaming arrival
What it won
Other
1 nom
The story
Kate is secretly betrothed to a struggling journalist, Merton Densher. But she knows her Aunt Maude will never approve of the match, since Kate's deceased mother has lost all her money in a marriage to a degenerate opium addict. When Kate meets a terminally ill American heiress named Millie traveling through Europe, she comes up with a conniving plan to have both love and wealth.
London, 1910. Due to her mother marrying an impoverished opium addict, Kate Croy is instructed by her wealthy aunt Maud to marry the wealthy aristocrat Lord Mark, or risk losing all financial support. Unfortunately for aunt Maud, Kate has fallen in love with struggling journalist Merton Densher. Fortunately, Kate meets a terminally ill American heiress named Millie, which leads her to make a plan to secure both love and money.
The ending. Being an adaptation, the plot points have been technically spoiled a century ago, but the way the ending was presented on screen was pretty special, even if they didn’t stick to the same exact wording.
Everything to love about love triangles… It’s actually criminal that we didn’t get to see these three on screen together again.
The details
Who picked it
Isabella Endrinal is a curator at A Good Movie to Watch. She's now free from the corporate night shift. Previous articles have been published in outlets such as NANG Magazine. She's currently catching up on some classic films… if she isn't coping with the fact that the Haikyu anime will end soon.
