The "Wings of the Dove": Henry James in the 1990s (BFI Modern Classics) Book

Illustrated The most successful of a clutch of 90s films based on Henry James, The Wings of the Dove (1997) is an exquisitely achieved literary adaptation. Against the backdrops of London and Venice, The Wings of the Dove charts the devastating consequences for its protagonists of the conflict between love and money. The film transforms James's novel into vivid, enthralling cinema, but without sacrificing the novel's psychological sophistication. At the time of the film's release critical appreciation was often limited to very clichéd commentary that showed little familiarity with James's work. Robin Wood by contrast carefully examines the differences between book and film, pointing out the achievements of each. In this eloquent and trenchant study, Wood shows how Softley's film does justice to its source by reinventing it for the cinema.