The Golden Bowl (2000)
(James Ivory, US/France/UK 2000, 130 min., 35mm)
James Ivory’s personal 35mm print
In their last Henry James adaptation, Ismail Merchant and James Ivory take the audience to turn-of-the-century Great Britain for his self-proclaimed masterpiece, a complex story of marriage and adultery. Charlotte (Uma Thurman) and Maggie (Kate Beckinsale) have been friends since childhood. Maggie is engaged to Italian Prince Amerigo (Jeremy Northam), who had a brief, passionate affair with Charlotte, unbeknownst to Maggie. After Maggie and Amerigo are married, Charlotte becomes involved with Maggie’s father, Adam (Nick Nolte). The couples’ lives are closely intertwined, making it impossible for Charlotte and Amerigo to forget about each other. But how long can they keep their past and their passion buried?