TBT: The Wings of the Dove (1997)

In our podcast, we declared The Wings of the Dove (1997) to be 99.9% perfect, and it still holds true. This adaption of the Henry James novel stars Helena Bonham Carter in a darker, more complicated role than her earlier frock flicks, with stunning costumes by Sandy Powell. Now, back when we podcasted it, we also released a video-slideshow that includes images of what we’re talking about — check it out here:

But we didn’t cover all the costumes, so it’s time to go in-depth and look at all the fantastic outfits in this film.

Director lain Softley specifically set this film in 1910, instead of 1902, when the novel was published, to emphasize the modernity of the story. He said:

“Visually, 1910 was completely different from a decade before. Electricity was suddenly more prevalent. The London Underground had just been built. And fashion was changing dramatically. There were revolutions and changes all around. It was the beginning of the modern world as we now recognize it — and the beginning of the way we act within it.”

So costume designer Sandy Powell created costumes that lean towards the future more than the Edwardian era. There’s a sense that this film’s costume design is distinctly different than the Merchant-Ivory Howards End (1992) and A Room With a View (1985) that Helena Bonham Carter had previously featured in. Powell commented that she wanted to contrast the London clothes with the Venice clothes specifically:

“In Venice, I wanted to enhance the fact that the characters had been totally removed from the repression of city life. There is a release and a liberation that is reflected in their flowing, unstructured garments. I was keen to avoid a ‘cream lace’ look and instead the costumes in Venice feature lighter, brighter colors and have more of an ethnic, North African look.”

But that “cream lace look” comment sounds like a reference to the Edwardian frock flicks where the design team of John Bright and Jenny Beavan used plenty of creamy tones and lots of lace. Which is fine! This movie has a very different story, so the costumes should reflect that. I also think the styles tend to be a bit closer to the mid-1910s than strictly “1910” as the title card pronounces.

Let’s go through The Wings of the Dove costumes chronologically through the film.

 

 

Taking the Tube

The film opens with Kate Croy (Helena Bonham Carter) on the London Underground, clandestinely meeting her lover Merton Densher (Linus Roache). She’s wearing a fantastically gigantic hat along with a slim teal blue suit.

This suit style is worn by Kate throughout the film, but that high-cut waist with long tails isn’t exactly a common look in period imagery. This costume is more of an exaggeration of historical styles, such as these few that I could find.

 

 

Getting Ready With Aunt Maud

This scene is a twist on the usual dressing scene in historical movies — there’s nothing glorious about it, no dwelling on the luxurious garments, no pomp and circumstance. Instead, it’s like leading a cow to the slaughter as Kate’s imperious aunt (Charlotte Rampling) paints Kate up. The problem is that Kate was born of a wayward union of Maud’s wealthy upper-class sister and a poor lower-class fellow, and Maud is “rescuing” Kate from the same fate.

 

 

London 1910 Wedding

The primping was to attend someone’s wedding, unclear who, but it’s quite the social event. A title card here tells us the date. Kate meets Lord Mark (Alex Jennings), who will be relevant plot-wise later.

This is a super formal afternoon event, and Aunt Maud is wearing a loose burnout-velvet robe. Her unrestrained wardrobe is an odd contrast to the rigid lifestyle she pushes on her niece.

While all the wedding guests are beautifully attired, I specifically noticed this lady, who Lord Mark refers to as Lady Bering’s daughter. I love the beaded gown and coordinating turban!

 

 

Out and About London

Kate meets with Merton and seems to make an engagement (in the rain!). Coming home, Kate argues with her aunt and is forced to cancel a date with Merton.

Kate had been wearing the same blue suit as the earlier day, but she was caught out in the rain with Merton. So she changes into this blue velvet tunic to call him.

The next day, Kate goes to see Merton. He wants to get married, she puts him off again. Then she goes to visit her father and learns that he’s being paid off by Maud.

Kate and Maud argue again, and Kate really breaks it off with Merton now. She has a big sad.

 

 

A Dinner Party Three Months Later

Kate meets American heiress Milly Theale (Alison Elliott), who’s stopping in London on her way to Venice with her companion Susan (Elizabeth McGovern).

 

 

Bookshop Meeting

Kate scrubs her mother’s tombstone clean, then takes the bus, where she sees Milly emerge from a doctor’s office. Kate follows Milly to a bookshop.

 

 

Party at Leighton House

The movie doesn’t say whose house or party this is, but it’s filmed in the Arab Hall and Narcissus Hall at Leighton House, London. Designed by artist Frederic Leighton starting in the 1860s, this combination house and artist’s studio features magnificent rooms inspired by Leighton’s travels to Turkey, Egypt, and Syria. Most of the tiles are from Damascus in the late 16th to early 17th centuries. This setting hints at the exoticism of Venice to come, as do both Kate and Milly’s costumes. Kate is wearing a blue Fortuny-style gown that reveals her shoulders, and she adds a black Poiret-style coat embellished with a peacock. Milly’s teal-blue gown is accented with rich goldwork, evocative of the tiled rooms they’re in. This is the first time Milly sees Merton, and Kate and Merton reconnect, setting the stage for the events of the second half of the film.

 

 

Around London Again

Milly and Kate share a carriage for some reason — unclear why or where they’re going because Kate soon ditches Milly and ends up at Merton’s newspaper office.

At the newspaper, we get a good view of Kate’s green velvet coat with a fur collar and yet another toque hat.

 

 

Klimt Exhibition at the Serpentine Gallery

Milly is by herself, watching kids playing ball in the park. It’s so weird! Then it starts raining and she runs to the nearest building, which just happens to be the Serpentine Gallery where an exhibit of fairly erotic Klimt paintings is housed. And where she runs into Kate and Merton. OK.

 

 

Weekend at Lord Mark’s Estate

Lord Mark is hitting on Milly because he needs her money, but he really has the hots for Kate. Awkward.

 

 

Lunch With Milly and a Plan

Kate sets up Merton for lunch with Milly (and Susan, of course). But Merton doesn’t know he’s being set up. Yet.

Merton meets Kate later, and she explains, kind of.

Later, at home, Kate tells Aunt Maud she’s going to Venice with Milly.

Before leaving for Venice, Kate stops by her dad’s opium den with a gift.

 

 

Arriving in Venice

Kate and Milly arrive in Venice at night, still wearing distinctly “London” clothes.

Merton soon arrives, upon Kate’s insistence.

 

 

Picnic on the Church Steps

 

 

Touring St. Mark’s Basilica

The group walks around and through the empty church.

 

 

Masquerade in the Streets

What’s Venice without a bit of Carnevale? Even though it’s not February / March in this movie (traditionally Carnevale takes place before Lent, which is 40 days before Easter).

 

 

Milly and Merton Tour Venice Alone

Kate leaves after the masquerade night, so Milly and Merton play tourists together.

 

 

Rainy Days in Venice

After that brief fun time together, it rains a ton, and everyone stays home. Finally, we see some of the Fortuny-style gowns this film is known for! They were first made and worn in 1907, and the ones in this film were created by Patricia and Charles Lester. As Charles said:

“Patricia was originally asked to make a dress each for Charlotte Rampling and Helena Bonham-Carter by Sandy Powell. After the dresses had been fitted and delivered, Sandy Powell’s assistant rang very early one morning to say the director loved the clothes and wanted lots more. So she and Patricia went through colours, styles, and ideas and figuring out what they’d like and what Patricia thought would be possible.”

They ended up delivering quite a few dresses and quickly, which was much appreciated. Director lain Softley noted:

“There is a softness and sensuality to the Fortuny-inspired designs that the women wear. They are like pre-Raphaelite models — it’s almost as if the female characters are becoming part of an allegorical world as they move through Venetian society. The period trappings fall away and they are at once modern and timeless.”

The rain hasn’t stopped for three days, and Milly goes to see Merton.

 

 

Milly and Merton’s Dinner

They have dinner, and Milly drinks too much (on purpose?). They walk home through the streets of Venice.

 

 

Kate Writes a Letter to Merton

Their dinner is intercut with scenes of Kate, in London, miserable, writing to Merton about how she’s the one who loves him. Btw, this is the only scene she actually wears this red Fortuny style gown and the red velvet robe in. The outfit is pictured in all the movie promo material (and the cover of the DVD, back in the day), but there is no scene in the movie at all of the three of them in a gondola together, much the less wearing these outfits.

 

 

Merton and Milly’s Final Meeting

Milly and Merton have another tourist jaunt, this time to a church under renovation. Milly wears that blue coat again. Meanwhile, Kate tells Lord Mark about her and Merton, who runs off to Venice to blab to Milly. Of course, then she’s pissed off at Merton. But finally Susan intervenes.

Milly meets with Merton for the last time, and she’s positioned all in white, laying on a white couch. Could she be any more cliche dying girl?

 

 

Milly’s Funeral and the Return to London

It’s all black from here on out.

Kate comes to see Merton. It won’t end well.

They have very un-sexy sexytimes.

 

 

 

So that’s why we call The Wings of the Dove 99% perfect! What do you think?