Critic by Katherine Pulzone

June 2008 “WHERE ANGELS FEAR TO TREAD” 1991

Starring Judy Davis, and Helena Bonham Carter

This wonderful movie really keeps you glued to the screen as a middle-aged British widow goes to Italy for three months to grieve losing her husband. Filmed in Pienza, while staying in an ancient and elegant hotel, she meets a young Italian man. As a proper rich daughter of English nobility, she writes her family about her sudden marriage to this young man. In a state of panic, her parents and her nine year old sister make a quick trip to Italy hoping to prevent gossip that will erupt due to their daughter’s impulsive and outrageous behavior - marrying an Italian. The young Italian is the son of an Italian dentist and her parents are even more horrified at his lack of nobility.

When they arrive in Italy, they discover their daughter has given birth and sadly, dies after giving birth. The parents try to hide this from the London nobility, where many stay in Italy for holiday and business. Aside from the cold hearts of the British toward anyone beneath their “station”, those that know the young Italian father love his warmth, charm and his caring for his motherless baby. Now the British family wants to take their new grandchild from the young father, back to England.

This film is takes place in the turn-of-the-century, early 1900’s, where the British discover that Italians believe what made them happy once, will make them happy again. Quite opposite to the British belief of “keeping up appearances supersedes anything else. This movie will leave you thinking.