James Ivory's new film about the young Thomas Jefferson serving as Ambassador to the French court of Louis XVI at the time of the first stirrings of the French Revolution, is as elegant and pleasant to look at as all his recent films. Its problem is that what it delivers is less than we might expect either as an historical or personal drama.
Opening in the American South where his old slaves recall his early life, the film then moves to Paris, where Jefferson (Nick Nolte) settles into a life of luxury and indolence he can't get used to. His platonic affair with the Anglo-Italian painter Maria Cosway (Greta Scacchi) and his physical relationship with Sally (Thandie Newton), his slave girl, concern the film as much as anything. But well as the three principals play - and Newton is certainly a major find - it is not quite sufficient to keep up the interest of a film that is over two hours long. Ruth Prawer-Jhabvala, who wrote the screenplay, contrasts Jefferson's honesty and upright moral stance with his inability to have a real relationship with anyone but his slave, whom he treats well enough but with a certain patronising decency that betrays his own weakness. Nolte manages this quite well but not well enough to sustain the film. Nor do the glimpses of France's regal court and of those who want to overthrow the monarchy seem quite enough to allow us to contrast the French Revolution with its American equivalent against George III.
Needless to say, the film is beautifully shot, designed and dressed and no screenplay by Jhabvala is less than intelligent. And if Ivory's direction lacks bite, it certainly does not lack conviction in essence. What we miss is development and structure to hold our interest all through it. Doubtless, some will call the production a typical example of Laura Ashley filmmaking. But it is a good deal more than that, even if the centre doesn't quite hold and the emphasis is somewhat askew. It's an intriguing piece despite its flaws.
DEREK MALCOLM (FIPRESCI)
Prod cos: Touchstone, Merchant-Ivory Productions
Prod: Ismail Merchant
Dir: James Ivory
Scr: Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
Ph: Pierre Lhomme
Eds: Andrew Marcus, Isabel Lorente
Prod des: Guy-Claude Francois
Art dir: Thierry Francois
Costumes: Jenny Beavan, John Bright
Music: Richard Robbins
Cast: Nick Nolte, Greta Scacchi, Jean-Pierre Aumont, Simon Callow, Seth Gilliam, James Earl Jones, Michael Lonsdale, Nancy Marchand, Thandie Newton, Gwyneth Paltrow
International sales: Buena Vista
Running time: 136 minutes
