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List Price: $49.98 | | Label: BBC Warner
Salesrank: 9684
Released: January 13, 2009 |
| Our Price: $33.95 |
| Used Price: $33.94 |
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MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Best known for his novels the chronicle the passions and missteps of 19th century Americans in Europe, Henry James continues to appeal to modern sensibilities with his deep understanding of character. This collection of adaptations from the BBC archives includes: The American with Matthew Modine and Diana Rigg, The Portrait of a Lady with Suzanne Neve, Richard Chamberlain and Edward Fox, The Spoils of Poynton with Gemma Jones and Ian Oglivy, The Wings of the Dove with Elizabeth Spriggs, Betsy Blair and John Castle, and The Golden Bowl with Daniel Massey, Barry Morse and Cyril Cusack.
Description of The Henry James Collection:
The novels of Henry James are celebrated for their psychological nuance and social detail--which becomes the raw material for surprisingly juicy and lavish television, thick with seduction, betrayal, sinister motives, and troubling secrets. The five BBC adaptations in The Henry James Collection transform high literature into the best soap opera you could ask for, resulting in a rich and satisfying collection of mini-series and movies. The most famous of the lot, The Portrait of a Lady, is unfortunately the weakest, despite the presence of Richard The Thorn Birds Chamberlain. Screenwriter Jack Pulman's stiff script leads to brittle performances, though Beatrix Lehmann has many marvelous moments as an acidic matriarch (a delicious character type that recurs in almost every James novel). When her effete son rhapsodizes about Isabel Archer, the American heiress visiting their estate, Lehmann pulls the rug out with "She's just a young girl on a trip to Europe; don't make such a meal of it." This mini-series is too much of a meal, all too faithful to the novel's plot but losing much of its drive.
Pulman does a much better job with The Golden Bowl by turning one of the novel's side characters--an elderly man with a nosy wife--into its narrator; and in the hands of top-notch Cyril Cusack, this narrator combines seeming obliviousness and sly understanding as he unwinds the story of a perhaps overly close father and daughter, whose familial bond threatens to destroy both of their marriages. The Golden Bowl also benefits from a lively, handsome cast and some gorgeous fashions--style mavens will drool over the creations of costume designer Ian Adley. The Spoils of Poynton, though not ranked highly among James' works, proves enormously entertaining as a mother and son manipulate a kind-hearted young woman in their fight with each other to claim the treasures of the family estate. Gemma Jones, Ian Ogilvy, and especially Pauline Jameson (as, of course, a scheming matriarch) skillfully balance light and dark as simple acquisitiveness turns into bitter struggle. The last two adaptations are movie-length, but what they lose in detail they gain in momentum and dramatic force. The American stars Matthew Modine as a wealthy American in love with a widowed Parisian gentlewoman; Diana Rigg is magnificently poisonous as the young widow's mother who spurns Modine, driving him to seek revenge. The most visually stylish of the set, The American takes a minor James novel and gives it plenty of zest; Modine, often bland, is perfect here, earnest and direct and all the more appealing for it. Finally, The Wings of the Dove vividly captures James' vision of Europe as shark-infested waters in which naive Americans get chewed up. Two British lovers, prevented from marrying by their lack of money, try to solve their problem by taking advantage of a wealthy American orphan, Milly Theale. Lisa Eichhorn's performance as Milly is so endearing and so hapless that the machinations around her grow increasingly horrifying--especially as the lives of the lovers themselves turn to ruin. --Bret Fetzer
The Henry James Collection Reviews:
HENRY JAMES IN FULL-LENGTH FILM FEATURE FORMAT & MORE 
2009-09-03 - This is a must for any Henry James (the writer) literary fan. You'll soon become a film fan of his stories as well. Also a must for the Victorian film lovers. This collection contains 5 of Henry James' important works put into films with lengths ranging from 81 minutes to 264 minutes, like full-length movie features.
Henry James wrote romances before Hollywood created "THE" acceptable ending. You'll never know till it's over how these stories will end. Each story is performed using a wonderful cast made up of some of the best stars of Britain, some in early roles within their careers.
Details:
THE AMERICAN, 87 minutes, original airing 1998
Christopher, the American, a self-made millionaire takes on Parisian aristocracy due to his desire for a beauty named Claire. It's new money vs old money and more important those time-honored ways of life.
THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY, 264 minutes, 6 episodes, 1968
This is about a girl (Isabel Archer) who takes charge of her destiny, but more in the contemporary style of a 21st century liberated lady. But is the Victorian period ready for Isabel?
THE SPOILS OF POYNTON, 169 min., 4 episodes, 1970
Gemma Jones (very well known now as "The Duchess of Duke Street"--highly recommended Masterpiece Theatre DVD set) is Fleda Vetch. Miss Vetch gets caught in the middle between passions of a mother, an engaged couple, and the artifacts of Poynton. Scenes are as Victorianly beautiful outside as the inside sets in this story taking place in 1897. With so much at stake, who will be the winner?
THE WINGS OF A DOVE, 81 min., 1979
Rich London girl loves poor London boy. Mama forbids it due to his income. Enter rich American girl and a plot forms. Will love win over wealth in these Victorian times? With Henry James writing--one never knows for sure.
THE GOLDEN BOWL, 257 MIN., 6 episodes, 1972
A father/daughter mutual admiration tale. Daughter marries a Prince. Father marries a friend of this daughter. Father's bride is found to be an ex-lover of the Prince. Love is much easier when those involved are not aristocracy, noblemen, or heiresses. But then, Henry James didn't intend for this romance to be a simple love story.
Look up "AFFAIRS OF THE HEART" if this is not enough Henry James for you. And surely it can't be. There are 2 sets of "Affairs of the Heart" available--13 more and different book-to-TV adaptations. Read my reviews on both. They come very recommended--again for Henry James readers/watchers, and Victorian romance lovers, those enjoying stories that have a surprise ending, and anyone just enjoying the beauty of an era of high design that has long since past.
The Henry James Collection comes in a very nice 5 DVD case with a small booklet. Yes, these DVDs do provide subtitles for the hearing impaired OR the British dialect challenged.
Henry James characters
2009-07-10 - - are brought beautifully to life in this collection. Gayle Hunnicutt plays the quintessential Charlotte in "The Golden Bowl". And, although the collection brochure ranks "Portrait of a Lady" as the weakest in the group, a young Richard Chamberlain gives a riveting performance as Ralph, redeeming this production to rank with the others. Many hours of pleasure.
Loved all but The American 
2009-05-20 - Contrary to another reviewer I LOVE the older BBC productions of great novels, they made them with respect for the original. The only modern one included in this set, the American, is simply an abomination of a James story. Be warned that it includes a graphic sex scene, I guess today's no talent filmmakers can't make a film great by sticking to the original and so have to throw some trash in to get an audience. Sad, really really sad.
Henry James Collection 
2009-05-01 - Some of this collection are of higher quality than others! I liked "The American" the best with "The Spoils of Poynton" being my least favorite. When they are "old BBC productions", I really miss the good lighting and musical scores that we enjoy now!
What is in it?
2009-04-20 - When I bought this I had no idea what I was buying. Here is a list:
The American: 1998, 87 minutes.
The Portrait of A Lady: 1968, 264 minutes.
The Spoils of Poynton: 1970, 169 minutes.
The Wings of The Dove: 1979, 81 minutes.
The Golden Bowl: 1972, 257 minutes.
