A ROOM WITH A VIEW

UK, 1985, 117 minutes, Colour.
Maggie Smith, Helena Bonham Carter, Julian Sands, Denholm Elliot, Judi Dench, Rupert Graves, Simon Callow, Daniel Day Lewis, Fabia Drake.
Directed by James Ivory.

A Room With A View is a very entertaining adaptation of E. M. Forster's novel. The film was nominated for many Oscars, winning them in the Art Department. The film also won British Film Academy Awards.

The film is the work of Ismail Merchant and James Ivory, the team responsible for many films made in India and about India as well as films made in Britain and the United States like Heat and Dust, The Europeans, The Bostonians.

The film is elegant, beautifully photographed, with beautiful musical soundtrack. Maggie Smith is expert as the desiccated but gossipping chaperone. She is well-matched by a cast which includes Denholm Elliott, Simon Callow. The heroine is Helena Bonham Carter who appeared as Lady Jane. The two male leads are Julian Sands, a moping sentimental hero - of such films as Oxford Blues, Gothic, and Daniel Day Lewis who is the priggish Cecil (and who was the exact opposite in My Beautiful Laundrette). Judi Dench has a guest appearance as a 19th century romantic novelist.

The first part of the film, set in Florence at the turn of the century, combines beauty and elegance with a touch of Italian violence. It focuses on the American tourists in Italy. The second part of the film is set in England where Lucy Honeychurch has to make decisions about her future.

The film is clever, witty, elegant entertainment.

1. An enjoyable film? Its acclaim? Awards?

2. The Italian locations? Their beauty? Serenity and violence? Period and decor? The contrast with England and its lifestyle? The musical score?

4. The quality of the cast and its British style?

5. The adaptation of Forster's novels: the use of chapters, captions, humour, reality and unreality? The indication of the characters during the credits and their roles and types?

6. The title and its reference to the room in the pensione in Florence? Lucy and her needing to broaden her view? The neatness of the girl with the chaperone at the end of the film and Lucy observing?

7. Lucy as the focus of the film, her age and background, family, Charlotte as the chaperone, her forthrightness and pluckiness, the question of the room, the view? The encounter with the Emmersons? Her embarrassment, her accepting the room? By herself, wandering Florence, buying postcards, witnessing the bashing, fainting and being rescued by George? The outing to the country and watching the river? The encounter with George, his passionately kissing her, questions of propriety? Her return home? Her age and innocence, the experience of Europe?

8. Charlotte and her age, primness, manners, fussiness, the question of the room, the friendship with Miss Lavish and their gossipping, wandering the Florence streets, seeing George kiss Lucy, promising not to tell anyone, the sudden departure for England?

9. The Emersons and Mr Emerson and his philosophy of life, about nature, God? Generous? Talking too loudly, the meals? The offer of the room? The tour of the church and his talking loudly? Going on the picnic? His concern about George? George, his brooding, giving up the room for Lucy, picking her up in the street as she fainted, the kiss as he was brooding in the countryside?

10. The Misses Allen and the English spinsters living in Europe, their style, propriety, niceness? Mr Emerson and the cornflowers in Miss Allen's hair?

11. Miss Lavish, her presence at the pensione, her observation of things in Italy, the tour, gossipping with Charlotte in the streets, the picnic in the countryside, her writing her novel? The satiric reading later by Cecil of the novel? Her including the gossip from Charlotte?

12. Mr Beebe and his style, on holidays, his role as a Church of England minister, his intervening in Lucy's life?

13. The effect of Italy on the English, their staying particularly English on the Continent, their vicar, the church, the vicar and his reprimand of the driver who said that the girl was his sister, the rebuke, the English at the pensione?

14. The contrast with England, the characters at home? Lucy and the effect of the trip, her decision to marry Cecil? Her relationship with her mother, her mother's care? Her brother and his boisterous style? Happy with him? In the town, the socials, the announcing of the engagement?

15. Cecil and the contrast with George? His priggish style, snobbery, the engagement, proper, his observing people? Coming in with Lucy and hex, brother singing the modern songs? Coming across the group swimming? His expectations of Lucy? Reading Miss Lavish's novel? the breaking of the engagement? His dignity and leaving?

16. The effect on Lucy? her memories or Italy, her not wanting Charlotte to come, Charlotte's arrival, the encounter with George, not facing the truth (and the irony of the captions)? Her relationship with Cecil, the decision to marry him, putting up with him, the reading of the novel and her reaction, her confronting Charlotte? The breaking of the engagement? The plans to go to Greece? Her finally admitting her love for George?

17. George and his father, settling in the town, his father's illness, George and the bicycle, the encounter with Charlotte, the swimming sequence, playing tennis, hearing Miss Lavish's novel, kissing Lucy again, the finally confrontation, the happy ending in Italy?

18. Mr Emerson and his presence, the house, Cecil and his mean-mindedness and poking fun at the Emersons by inviting them down? Mr Emerson's talking with Charlotte and Lucy? The truth?

19. The Misses Allen, their letters, the planned trip?

20. Charlotte and her visit, the encounter with George at the station, her fussiness about-the money and the change, the encounters with George, talking with Mr. Emerson, the confrontation with Lucy about the novel? Her using her influence about the trip and the marriage?

21. Mr Beebe at home, his help, wisdom, observation, Minnie staying with the family, the humour of the swimming sequence?

22. Lucy's brother and his verve, playing the piano, sport, teasing, the swimming sequence with George and Mr Beebe? His mock sophistication with the pipe?

23. A comedy of manners, style, morals, lies and truth, love? Insight?