Henry James' Bittersweet Symphony

The "Washington Square" movie comes from a major source material, Henry James' novels. It is a turn-of-the-century set up. The street, gardens, mountains, New York City, Europe, and diverse and beautiful locations. It is the general picture of "Washington Square." Carol Doyle's screenplay is a basic retelling of the story. It is about the ultimate protagonist, Catherine Sloper (Jennifer Jason Leigh). She turns on the show and carries the picture. It is a contemporary resonance and bittersweet symphony. It is a long epic. In a way it is tale of life struggle. It is a young woman facing a battle between the stylish, emotionless, uncertain, power-driven world around her. She tries and fights with the simple decency and uprightness of her desires.

It is a lush Merchant-Ivory epic. Right after Sloper meets with a poor adventurer and wonderer, Morris Townsend (Ben Chaplin), and she falls in love with him. Her bossy father Dr. Austin Sloper (Albert Finney) objects it. He crushes his inelegant daughter with his method of life. It is an exclusive epic tale. It begins a long and continuous shot with special party in the garden. It is off the coast of New York. It dives through parks and avenues. And it slopes into a crowd of children play on the street. Another pair plays around the kite. Above all, right into the view of the high structure, three birds fly off the ground and up in the sky and stops on the building roof.

It is another fashionable adaptation of Henry James novel, "The Wings of the Dove." It is in the same way a design. One reason or the other Henry James is such a hot movie property. The protagonist creates a dominant theme. It is just like poetry. Life is the dearest mortality. Dream is significant. Society is ideal. The use of money is mock-up to make-up. But who cares such things; some meaning may lies beneath the author's elegant prose. The "Washington Square" is one of the most "modern" projects up to date. It has shading, richness, thrill, and of course, dark comedy. Nevertheless, I have to realize it is an era of endless tales and playful love stories. I hopefully imagine once upon the time, the character like Sloper will live through the struggle, and live in her grace, promise and depth. It is still world of rock & roll. I love the world if it’s not for the ecstasy.

It is directed by Agnieszka Holland ("Olivier Olivier" and "The Secret Garden"). She is a fine writer herself. And she makes it melodramatic and its story goes along. It is a 19th-century masterpiece. It is particular straightforward soap opera. It is a fantastic male-dominated industry, but it is sensitive and moody. It comes closer to "Heiress" the movie.

But when the cinematographer Jerzy Zielinski's camerawork shifts in the house, it turns and changes light and mood. It starts off strange enough to dizzy up the view and audience. Dr. Austin Sloper (Albert Finney)'s wife dies while giving birth in an upstairs bedroom. So, it feels a pity the woman dies with blood on her body. It is nice to see the all-so-fat man of the house. He is surprised and delighted by his daughter’s birth. I can quiet guess the little child is the main character, Catherine Sloper. She is the shadow of love. Zielinski surely shows a bit of more shots, some blurs the window, some covers the curtain, and some fades in the sun.

The movie creates a mood of jealousy, passion, and survival. The father Dr. Sloper is a well cast. His wife’s death plays a start. The affair ends in an untimely matter. Which makes the child a sophisticated one. It is a stylish line. Sloper puts, "So this...magnificent creature is my child." (Dr/Professor Sloper. My Lady Catherine.)

Not only Sloper is terrible but also arresting. Finney's portrait of Dr. Sloper is one of the actor's finnest. Yet Finney doesn't get into much emotional stage. He simply plays a usual character with wickedness. He uses full of emotional autonomy, troubling charm and magnetism. For his part, he calms the crowd but he unwillingly to silence his daughter’s wish. Catherine Sloper the only innocent of the lot, is the key character. Jennifer Jason Leigh turns her into a blinking, helpless, and self-conscious like. The grown up one now dresses flash and develops panic. It is clever in a way to see her in an ill-fitting gown. Leigh portrays an over-the-edge and understated woman. And she gives out her talent. Her love a first sight is what meets the eye. The lover of Sloper is Morris (Chaplin) who is playful, and chameleon-like. The actor certainly meets the personal agenda. If his Morris can be slightly smarter, then the character might wins his romance. The writer Doyle on the hand might plainly change history/novel. But instead he set aside romance and makes final stage. Catherine Sloper's Aunt Lavinia (Maggie Smith) is charming, dramatic, and resolute. The best of foreign-charm. The characters are all flawless. The director Holland shows key discipline in structuring the tension, nature, and nit-picking.

Holland snaps at the theme by the end of the movie. I fear my wonder will exist at its best. It is mostly get away. It is loss of inspiration and romanticism. Leigh’s only shadow of love is relevant. Holland’s "Washington Square" is just a picture of view (a shadow of gist.) Its thankful gift is the European setting. I like the pop-corn delight. But I don’t like the concept nature of feeling romantic. Of course. It is a tragic lost of love and history of profanity.