I don't agree with some of the more in depth reviews of this movie. While the movie is somewhat slowly paced , there is a lot to enjoy and admire in The Bostonians.
It is essentially the story of a repressed and forward thinking lesbian who finds herself in love with a young woman who appears to return her feelings. .Both are constrained by the century they find themselves in. Vanessa Redgrave makes you feel every bit of longing for the red haired suffragette whose winsome ways instantly captivate her. And Potter is quite affecting in her role, making us feel her conflict as she is torn between two people who both seem to want her.
The movie is set in Aruba - just kidding - and the atmosphere impeccably depicts a long gone world of educated individuals who live comfortably. These men and women are allowed to indulge their passions for one another and are not required to toil as servants, who do their bidding for them.
The question of women's rights falls a little flat when the women themselves seem to live so happily, the story of female emancipation submerged within the romantic tensions of the characters. The ending shows how passionate Redgrave has been all along in her desire for women's rights.
Reeve's performance as the man who also longs for the young suffragette is far better than some claim. You can feel his desire, wince at his manipulations. The perceptive viewer instantly recognizes that Redgrave's character views him as one thing, the enemy, both as a man and as a rival for her affections.
I think The Bostonians' pace can be a bit wearing and tedious, but if you are able to go along for the journey, this movie will reward you. The scenes between Redgrave and Potter are affecting, and Linda Hunt's doctor is wonderfully portrayed. Jessica Tandy always seemed to play the same character in her later years, but she adds a touch of elegance to the proceedings. And Reeves looms like a shadow over the proceedings, doing an admirable job of presenting a single-minded man who cares little for women's rights - but a great deal for one woman.
It is essentially the story of a repressed and forward thinking lesbian who finds herself in love with a young woman who appears to return her feelings. .Both are constrained by the century they find themselves in. Vanessa Redgrave makes you feel every bit of longing for the red haired suffragette whose winsome ways instantly captivate her. And Potter is quite affecting in her role, making us feel her conflict as she is torn between two people who both seem to want her.
The movie is set in Aruba - just kidding - and the atmosphere impeccably depicts a long gone world of educated individuals who live comfortably. These men and women are allowed to indulge their passions for one another and are not required to toil as servants, who do their bidding for them.
The question of women's rights falls a little flat when the women themselves seem to live so happily, the story of female emancipation submerged within the romantic tensions of the characters. The ending shows how passionate Redgrave has been all along in her desire for women's rights.
Reeve's performance as the man who also longs for the young suffragette is far better than some claim. You can feel his desire, wince at his manipulations. The perceptive viewer instantly recognizes that Redgrave's character views him as one thing, the enemy, both as a man and as a rival for her affections.
I think The Bostonians' pace can be a bit wearing and tedious, but if you are able to go along for the journey, this movie will reward you. The scenes between Redgrave and Potter are affecting, and Linda Hunt's doctor is wonderfully portrayed. Jessica Tandy always seemed to play the same character in her later years, but she adds a touch of elegance to the proceedings. And Reeves looms like a shadow over the proceedings, doing an admirable job of presenting a single-minded man who cares little for women's rights - but a great deal for one woman.