Henry James, like Edith Wharton, is not easy to bring to the movie screen. They are better suited to the television miniseries. I did enjoy the recent movie versions of James's "The Golden Bowl" w/Uma Thurman & Kate Beckinsale and Wharton's "The House of Mirth" w/Gillian Anderson & Laura Linney. Bogdanovich's adaptation would've made a much better PBS miniseries with the storyline stretched out & elaborated, just like the multitude of classics that were being produced for the small screen by the British in the 1970s. Bogdanovich's movie "Daisy Miller" is an excellent adaptation of a James novel. Not perfect, but somewhere on the right track. Bogdanovich gets the visuals down pat and you get the feel of 1870s Italy, certainly a lengthy trip by an American in the 1870s. For those decrying Cybil Shepherd and blaming her, please give me a break! She's 23, she has nothing more to do than to look beautiful & vulnerable and utter a few lines. A lot of her scenes she doesn't say nothing. She even dies at the end. If Shepherd had died in 1974 after this movie was released y'all would be saying she was a 'great' actress taken before her time. Instead many of you are remembering Shepherd for her off stage shenanigans, personal life, her instances in the trash tabloids, her affair with Bogdanovich etc. Who cares, she's beautiful & effective in this, which surprised even ME when I first saw the DM. I much prefer Shepherd in DM than in the Last Picture Show. The movie is sumptuously photographed. The photography is really the star here. The costumes are well done giving the aura of nothing but 1870s. As I said, this would've been much nicer in a mini-series(it still could be) where the time & pace could be spread out. Instead Bogdanovich had to whittle his movie down to a 2 hour or less running time as audiences don't like to sit through a long period piece. Bogdanovich took a chance tackling a Henry James story in the early 1970s knowing how fickle American audiences can be but he may have been influenced by the British TV imports then first arriving on US televisions. Lastly I would recommend DM, especially for lovers of costume dramas, Masterpiece Theater and the like. Give this picture at least one viewing as you may come off surprised and liking it , as I did.
Review of Daisy Miller
