The Wings of the Dove
Miramax Films | Release Date: November 7, 1997 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
73
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 18 Critic Reviews
Positive:
15
Mixed:
2
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
San Francisco ChronicleEdward Guthmann
The difference is that Iain Softley, who directed Wings of the Dove, and his screenwriter Hossein Amini, who wrote the overlooked "Jude," are keen observers who bring a wealth of ambiguity and mystery to the surface -- and release their characters from the cliches that easily could have swallowed them. Read full review
90
SalonLaura Miller
The rigid distinction usually made between a terrific outfit movie and cinematic art is just another barrier washed away in the overflowing riches of The Wings of the Dove. Read full review
90
The New York TimesStephen Holden
Few films have explored the human face this searchingly and found such complex psychological topography. That's why The Wings of the Dove succeeds where virtually every other film translation of a James novel has stumbled. Read full review
90
Dallas ObserverMichael Sragow
Seductive from the start, the film grows more stimulating and involving as it goes along because these three are original people who mate and recombine unpredictably. Read full review
88
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
In The Wings of the Dove, there is a fascination in the way smart people try to figure one another out. The film is acted with great tenderness. Read full review
88
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
The Wings of the Dove is not a happy tale, but it is a vivid and unforgettable one, featuring multi- dimensional characters, beautiful cinematography, impressive set design, and accomplished acting. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesKenneth Turan
Wings of the Dove is richly appointed and beautifully mounted, with lush location shooting in Venice given the place of honor. Read full review
80
The A.V. ClubKeith Phipps
The Wings Of The Dove is thought-provoking in a full and lasting sense; it'll stay with you long after its dubious final scene. Read full review
80
NewsweekAndrea C. Basora
Although the film is clumsy and overheated at times, it is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful films of the year. Set in turn-of-the-century London and Venice, its rich colors and opulent textures will linger long after the plot has been forgotten. Read full review
75
San Francisco ExaminerBarbara Shulgasser
Softley and Amini say they consciously viewed Kate as a film noir kind of heroine, a beauty leading a good man astray. And that, added to the setting of the second half of the movie in canal-riven Venice, gives the story the kind of moral haziness that verges on Thomas Mann territory. Read full review
75
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
Thoughtfully directed by the versatile Iain Softely from Hossein Amini's screenplay, which reduces James's intricately structured narrative to feature-film scale without losing the book's rueful psychological tone. Read full review
70
The New RepublicStanley Kauffmann
Softley worries a bit, quite unnecessarily, about keeping our interest; so he lays in a number of overhead shots and considerable zooming at the start of sequences. But his work with his cast is sure, except for the miscast Elliott, and he generates the right internal heat between the lovers. Read full review
70
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
Henry James's novel of social-climbing, forbidden love, friendship and betrayal, given a lush treatment that neglects neither the elaborate period trappings nor the story's intensely contemporary emotional underpinnings. Read full review
70
VarietyDavid Stratton
Visually the film impresses, with Eduardo Serra's widescreen camerawork evocatively capturing the streets and interiors of London and a rain-swept Venice. Pacing is crisp, with little time wasted on inessentials. Dialogue is often caustically witty, and the relations clearly delineated. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
Achingly gorgeous in almost all respects, the film soars in its period depiction of turn-of-the-century London (and later in Venice, as well), from costuming to cinematography on down. Read full review
60
L.A. WeeklyPaul Malcolm
Softley starts out a little awkwardly, as he tries to capture turn-of-the-century flux by opening several London scenes from disorienting, too-obvious camera positions. Read full review
50
Chicago ReaderJonathan Rosenbaum
The film has little to do with art, intelligence, or values (except for the kind found in department stores). Read full review
0
SlateAlex Ross
The movie is a modern facsimile of the potboilers James transfigured. A great movie may yet be made of James, but it will have to be done by someone who has read him. Read full review
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