A Room With a View

E. M. Forster’s 1908 novel served as the basis for this 1985 British romantic drama about a young woman in the final throes of the repressed culture of Edwardian England falling in love with a free-spirited young man. The film, upon completion, was deemed well made yet unprofitable, yet that proved to be incorrect as upon release it was immensely popular, becoming a box-office sensation. It also scored high with film critics and at the Oscars, where it was nominated for eight Academy Awards, winning three. It also introduced us to Helena Bonham Carter, an actress that has had so many interesting and unusual roles over the years, including a stint as director Tim Burton’s wife and leading lady in many of his films. This is her feature debut and it is easy to see why she has remained an endearing presence in films for over forty years.

The story takes place in 1907 where a young Englishwoman, Lucy Honeychurch (Helena Bonham Carter), and her much older cousin and chaperone, Charlotte Bartlett (Maggie Smith), are on holiday in Florence. They are disappointed and vocal that their room at the Pensione Bertolini doesn’t have a view of the River Arno, as advertised. At dinner, they meet other English guests which include: the Reverend Mr. Beebe (Simon Callow); romance author Eleanor Lavish (Judi Dench); freethinker, though sometimes too vocal, Mr. Emerson (Denholm Elliott); and his quiet, introverted son George (Julian Sands). 

The following day, while touring the Piazza della Signoria, Lucy witnesses a brutal stabbing and faints. George is there and comes to her aid, spending some time with her, unchaperoned. Later, while on a day trip to the Fiesole countryside, Charlotte and Ms. Lavish wish to gossip about something unsuitable for Lucy, so Lucy leaves them to go on a walk. There she runs into George again, admiring the poppy fields, and he sweeps her up into a passionate embrace before they are interrupted, and Lucy is taken away from him, their trip cut short. 

Back in Surrey, Lucy has said nothing about her encounter with George and is soon engaged to Cecil Vyse (Daniel Day-Lewis), a wealthy and socially prominent man who is pretentious and cold, though he does love her. Despite this, he and his mother view themselves as superior to the Honeychurch family, something that offends Mrs. Honeychurch (Rosemary Leach). Lucy’s life is upended though when she discovers that Cecil has recommended a cottage nearby to be rented to Mr. Emerson, who has moved in to the cottage with George visiting on the weekends. 

Naturally, the presence of George begins to erode Lucy’s commitment to Cecil, especially after seeing just how much more personable and warm he is compared to Cecil. On top of that, while Cecil does love her, his views on things are very rigid and sterile, something her own personality clashes with, leaving her to realize the two are incompatible. This is further confirmed to her when she tries to convince him to engage in some light sport, which he refuses.

On the surface, this is a typical romance triangle with Lucy caught in the middle between the two men. But it is also examining the shifting viewpoints of Edwardian England at the start of the 20th century and the generational gap between the older and the younger people. On top of that, there is a wide chasm between the stiff upper-crust Cecil and his family and what he considers the lesser Honeychurch family. He sees himself as their betters, but he also doesn’t see himself in that negative light, looking down on those he deems snobbish, too, not recognizing the irony of his own snobbery. 

George is more free-thinking, much like his father, but he is quiet and introspective where his father speaks his mind, sometimes to his own detriment. Mr. Emerson sees Lucy as a possibility to help bring his son out of his shell, not knowing that he has already done so when he embraced her in the poppy fields. George truly loves her, whereas Cecil sees her more as a possession, something to show off. All of this is complicated when Cecil begins reading to Lucy from Mrs. Lavish’s latest book and comes upon a passage that sounds identical to her and George’s encounter in Italy. Charlotte, who was sworn to secrecy over what she saw in the poppy fields, is forced to admit she confided in Mrs. Lavish at the time. Cecil, too busy with his nose in the book, fails to see that Lucy and George are off kissing again. 

The ending of this film is fairly predictable, but that is to be expected in such a film. After all, it would be unsatisfying to end it with her marrying Cecil anyway, dooming herself to a life of unhappiness. Where the film fumbles a bit is in how it wraps things up. Lucy is determined to leave, to avoid both men and run off to Greece for a while. George is unaware that Lucy broke off the engagement with Cecil and has arranged for his father to move to London. Lucy meets Mr. Emerson while looking for Charlotte and is confronted by him about his son’s true feelings for her. This abruptly cuts to Lucy and George, newlyweds, on their honeymoon at the Italian pensione where they first met, in a room with a view overlooking Florence’s Duomo. It’s a beautiful moment, but it comes a bit abruptly.

This film starts out feeling like yet another British stuffy drama, one of many that are critical hits but keep their audiences at arm’s length. But then it softens a bit and allows us to get to know these characters more. With that comes a vested interest in them. We get the sense of the changing times throughout, such as when, on the road to the Fiesole countryside, the carriage driver canoodles with his girlfriend. Offended by this, the Reverend insists the girlfriend be forced off the carriage and made to walk back while they continue on their journey. This is conflicting ideologies clashing, and the younger generation will soon be taking over, overruling the older, more conservative generation. 

Cecil comes across as too much of a caricature, a man who is too uptight to make it in the changing world around him. He avoids being too two-dimensional simply because we can see that he does love Lucy, but he is designed to be so polar opposite from Lucy that we question why she would have gotten engaged to him in the first place. It also makes it so that we are never conflicted about what decision she should make in the end, removing any real suspense. 

A Room with a View is a charming British romance drama that is bolstered by our sheer love for George and Lucy. Their relationship keeps this film afloat and keeps us vested in their story. The film isn’t perfect by any means, especially when it falls into a moment of vulgar frivolity involving three men frolicking around in the woods in the nude. Sure, that sells us on the free-spiritedness of George and his generation in comparison to Cecil, but it also adds a level of lewdness that stands out in an otherwise tame story. This is hardly a deal-breaker, and this scene doesn’t kill the entire film, but it comes suddenly and doesn’t feel like it fits with the rest of the movie, funny as it is. 

I’m a sucker for a good love story, and the romance that develops between Lucy and George hits that sweet spot. Both leads are likable presences, and we instinctually want to see them together. That’s what makes that final scene with the two of them in the window overlooking the pensione so beautiful. They are so obviously in love, and that heat radiates off the screen. No words need to be said; the visuals sell it all. It’s the perfect image to end this charming little movie.

Academy Award Nominations:

Best Picture: Ismail Merchant

Best Director: James Ivory

Best Supporting Actress: Maggie Smith

Best Supporting Actor: Denholm Elliott

Best Adapted Screenplay: Ruth Prawer Jhabvala (won)

Best Art Direction: Gianni Quaranta, Brian Ackland-Snow, Brian Savegar, and Elio Altamura (won)

Best Cinematography: Tony Pierce-Roberts

Best Costume Design: Jenny Beavan and John Bright (won)

____________________________________________________

Release Date: April 11, 1986

Runtime: 117 Minutes

Not Rated

Starring: Maggie Smith, Denholm Elliott, Judi Dench, Simon Callow, Helena Bonham-Carter, Julian Sands, Daniel Day-Lewis, Fabia Drake, Patrick Godfrey, Rupert Graves, Joan Henley, and Rosemary Leach

Directed by: James Ivory