Amazon.comPortrait of a Marriage opens with deceptive calm– a husband and wife working in a garden look up at planes flying overhead. But the planes are off to bomb Germany and moments later a phone call thrusts the wife–poet and novelist Vita Sackville-West (Janet McTeer, Tumbleweeds)–into a bittersweet reverie from the previous war. Five years into her marriage with Harold Nicolson (David Haig, Two Weeks Notice), Harold confesses his affairs with men–but swears his only true passion is Vita. She accepts this, but when her childhood friend Violet Keppel (Cathryn Harrison, Clarissa) arrives, the two women begin an affair. Soon Vita and Violet find themselves deeply enmeshed, traveling through the gay demimonde of Paris with Vita in men’s clothes. The affair becomes all-consuming and starts tearing at Vita and Harold’s marriage and the lives of their two children. Portrait of a Marriage practically bursts with revealing psychological details and startlingly steamy sex sc (more…)
July 23rd, 2009 at 3:09 pm
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent….
I saw Part I of this series when it originally aired on PBS many years ago. I bought this to see the remaining episodes. It was a worthwhile purchase!
July 23rd, 2009 at 5:39 pm
2.0 out of 5 stars
A terrible “adaptation” of a great book
I’m appalled by all the positive reviews of this rather tired and maudlin film which is said to be based on the altogether wonderful book “Portrait of a Marriage” by Nigel…
July 23rd, 2009 at 8:04 pm
5.0 out of 5 stars
Platonic Passion
“Portrait of a Marriage” is the superb, controversial Masterpiece Theater miniseries from 1990. Nearly two decades old, it was shocking at the time, before the show became the…
July 24th, 2009 at 1:20 am
5.0 out of 5 stars
Portrait of a Marriage
I too watched this PBS special, but was out of town for the last installment and never did see the ending. I was heartbroken and have been searching for it ever since!
July 24th, 2009 at 2:12 am
5.0 out of 5 stars
Powerful Passions
I remember seeing this series when it first came out in England many years ago. I recently bought the DVD’s issued here in the US.
July 24th, 2009 at 3:15 am
5.0 out of 5 stars
frankly speaking
I thoroughly enjoy this movie. In the same genre as “Maurice”, “Wilde”, and “Tipping the Velvet”, this timeless classic is truly rivoting and heartwretching to watch.
July 24th, 2009 at 6:03 am
5.0 out of 5 stars
PBS Series, Great Drama
If you enjoy period dramas or bios, check this one out..also a true story written by the couple’s son, Nigel
July 24th, 2009 at 8:45 am
5.0 out of 5 stars
VIOLET AND VITA AND HAROLD AND DENYS
This is a superb BBC production. High production values. It’s a TV luxury. Based on Vita’s memoire of her love affair with Violet Keppel Trefusis which can be found in Nigel…
July 24th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
5.0 out of 5 stars
Portrait of a Marriage
First saw this on Masterpiece Theater with Alistair Cooke. Excellent autobiography and story of a gay woman poet/writer, Vita Sackville-West, living in the WWI era 1920’s and…
July 24th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Woman Hard To Like
It all sounds terribly thrilling at first: a marriage between two homosexuals of opposite sexes, enjoying married life while engaging in same-sex affairs.