Where Angels Fear to Tread
Where Angels Fear to Tread

Where Angels Fear to Tread

1991Movie108 minEnglish

An English widow goes to Italy, falls in love with a dentist's son and marries him, against her straitlaced family's wishes.

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IMDb6.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes71%
Metacritic68/100
Google Users78%
Director: Charles SturridgeGenres: Drama, Romance

Plot Summary

In early 20th-century England, the devout and repressed Miss Caroline Abbot becomes engaged to the philanthropic Gino Carella, whom she met while working with him in Italy. When she travels to Florence to marry him, she is horrified to discover he has died and left behind a pregnant mistress, the beautiful but unsophisticated Sofia. Caroline, determined to save the child from a life of poverty and disgrace, takes the infant back to England, encountering the prejudices and strictures of her own society along the way.

Critical Reception

The film received generally positive reviews, with critics praising its lush visuals, strong performances, and faithful adaptation of E.M. Forster's novel. Some noted its somewhat slow pacing but acknowledged the emotional depth and thematic resonance.

What Reviewers Say

  • Praised for its beautiful cinematography and period detail.
  • Helena Bonham Carter and Judy Davis deliver compelling performances.
  • A thoughtful exploration of cultural clashes and societal constraints.

Google audience: Audiences appreciated the film's faithfulness to the source material and its engaging performances, particularly from the lead actresses. Some found the narrative a bit understated, but the overall sentiment was positive.

Fun Fact

The film is based on the 1905 novel of the same name by E.M. Forster, which was his first novel to be published.

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