Five Victorian-Set Movies to Enjoy
This time, the movies (except one) travel a little farther afield than dear old England ~ Sicily, Florence, Paris, and New York.
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The Leopard (1963) Director: Luchino Visconti. The Prince of Salina, a noble aristocrat of impeccable integrity, tries to preserve his family and class amid the tumultuous social upheavals of 1860’s Sicily. Starring Burt Lancaster, Alain Delon, Claudia Cardinale
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The Earrings of Madame de… (1953) Director: Max Ophüls. In the Paris of the late 19th century, Louise, wife of a general, sells the earrings her husband gave her as a wedding gift: she needs money to cover her debts. The general secretly buys the earrings again and gives them to his mistress, Lola, leaving to go to Constantinople. Where an Italian diplomat, Baron Donati, buys them. Back to Paris, Donati meets Louise… So now Louise discovers love and becomes much less frivolous. Starring Charles Boyer, Danielle Darrieux, Vittorio De Sica
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A Room with a View (1985) Director: James Ivory. When Lucy Honeychurch and chaperone Charlotte Bartlett find themselves in Florence with rooms without views, fellow guests Mr Emerson and son George step in to remedy the situation. Meeting the Emersons could change Lucy’s life forever but, once back in England, how will her experiences in Tuscany affect her marriage plans? Starring Maggie Smith, Helena Bonham Carter, Denholm Elliott
Howard’s End(1992) Director: James Ivory. A businessman thwarts his wife’s bequest of an estate to another woman. Starring Anthony Hopkins, Emma Thompson, Vanessa Redgrave.
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The Age of Innocence (1993) Director: Martin Scorsese. A tale of nineteenth-century New York high society in which a young lawyer falls in love with a woman separated from her husband, while he is engaged to the woman’s cousin. Starring Daniel Day Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, Winona Ryder.
So have you seen these movies yet? Which is your favorite?