The Portrait of a Lady

I couldn't even get halfway through the Nicole Kidman fiasco, so I was glad to find this series, and even happier to discover the great Richard Chamberlain (whom I saw in person, BTW) in an early role. He was excellent as the heroine's Cousin Ralph, and so was Suzanne Neve, as Isabel Archer, the young heiress (thanks to her uncle's timely demise) who longs to be free of convention and live life on her own terms, but who - ironically - gets herself bound by marriage to the wrong man, in a life she feels is no longer her own. She finds she can't so easily escape either duty (to her marriage vows) nor responsibility (to the stepdaughter who needs her).

Even more ironic, is her early decision to avoid marriage, despite her feelings for Casper Goodwood (Ed Bishop), because she longs to be free, to travel, find herself and what she really wants, even if it shouldn't bring her happiness in the long run. And yet she ends up agreeing to marry an older man, (Gilbert Osmond, played by James Maxwell) whom she shares an interest in art with, without any particular emotional attachment, apparently okay with relinquishing the freedom she was so gung-ho on.

I think she was really frightened of feeling anything profound, like love or desire, scared it would make her too vulnerable, so instead she chooses a more aesthetic relationship, which wouldn't threaten her sense of self. In short, she prefers the 'lie-there-and-think-of-England" type of marriage, to one with orgasms.

More ironic still, is the way the suitors she rejected keep turning up, one like a bad penny (Edward fox as Lord Warburton, who pursues her stepdaughter for reasons other than affection), the other (Casper) to remind her what she's thrown away.

She wanted freedom, yet put herself in a cage, and isn't sure she can accept the key.

Done in the old Tape and Talent style of British adaptations of novels, it is a poignant and absorbing telling of the story. The cast, Richard Chamberlain included, shows what ensemble work is all about.

There used to be a tape of this series. Where is it now?

Shot in a basic TV soap opera style, this adaptation of James' novel has some definite advantages over Jane Campion's misguided film version. For one thing, the BBC's 4-hour running time allows for more of the novel to make it onto the screen, without boredom ever rearing it's ugly head. Also, the character of Isabel emerges as something more than a feminist-style victim here, which is truer to James' intent. This Isabel is responsible for her mistakes and is willing to acknowledge it. And the characters of Ralph, Lord Warburton, and Gilbert have more depth.

Unfortunately, the direction is rather stilted in this version, and the performances are variable. Susannah Neve plays most all her scenes as Isabel in exactly the same forthright, unshaded way, which becomes very wearisome after a while. And her manner as an actress misses the character's vulnerability - it's hard to believe this Isabel could be bullied by anyone, including Gilbert Osmond. But she does command your attention when necessary.

Best are Edward Fox as Warburton, Beatrix Lehmann and Alan Gifford as her Aunt and Uncle, and the marvelous Kathleen Byron (remember her as the mad nun in "Black Narcissus"?) who easily steals every scene she's in as the Countess Gemini. Richard Chamberlain is charming and intelligent (though never moving) as Ralph, even though you never really believe he's all that sickly. James Maxwell does well enough by Osmond (and is a big improvement over the reptilian John Malkovich in the film).

Rachel Gurney as Madame Merle is very arch and obvious in a role Barbara Hershey later played so beautifully. At the bottom are Sarah Brackett, whose Henrietta Stackpole is worthy of a college play, and Ed Bishop who is a very wooden Caspar Goodwood.

If you're looking for a reasonable dramatic adaptation of James' dense novel, this will do well enough until something better comes along.

It is true that the style of this production seems very dated now, but it was an immense success in the UK when it was first shown. Richard Chamberlain was at the time chiefly famous for the Dr Kildare series, and scarcely thought of as an actor. But his intensely moving performance as Ralph Touchett was a revelation, and received the highest praise from the critics. Television stars of the time, when they attempted something more ambitious, talked about 'doing a Richard Chamberlain'. Probably as a result of his performance, soon afterwards he played Hamlet on stage and on TV.

It is highly recommended watching these series together with reading the novel. The story is basically indoors so it has the atmosphere of a play. However the book contains some outdoor activities in London, Florence and Rome. They were missed completely. Because of this the movie doesn't come alive as for instance 'A room with a view' does which has basically the same settings. Much attention is given to interior decorating and costumes. They are worth watching on their own. In close up scenes it was visible that large amounts of grime were there. That gave even more a sense of watching a play. In the end a crucial scene was completely lost in the movie that I won't spoil. For me Pansy was the true hero of the movie more so than in the book because of her acting so wistful.