Rapturous. This word perfectly describes my feelings about A Room with a View (Ivory, 1985). You could also use this word to describe my feelings about the scenery, the performances, the score, the costuming, and Italy itself. I have been saving this gem since we started the podcast, and it finally felt like the right time to wax rapturously about it.
This film marked some very important firsts for me and informed my sensibilities at the tender age of ten. I gravitated to romanticism, that lush, positive variety as seen here; I was a confirmed Anglophile; I was drawn to pale broody men; and I realized skinny dipping was going to be great fun! I was delighted to find out how drawn Cole was to the film as well, the everlasting why and the eternal yes speaking deeply to his soul.
I think this film endures because within the gorgeous scenery, recognizable characters, and sly social commentary there is such a light comic and loving touch that means this film feels as fresh and seductive as ever. It is just waiting for new Lucys and Charlottes and Georges to discover it.
What you’ll find in this episode: whether any queer coding is happening, why the eternal yes means so much to Cole, and the best time of day or year to watch it.
– Ericca
Check out A Room with a View on IMDB.
Ericca’s further viewing pick of The Wings of the Dove.
Cole’s further viewing pick of A Sunday in the Country.
More about Italy in the early 1900s.
A look at the dollar princesses.
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