The Wings of the Dove

The Wings of the Dove (1997) is a British period drama directed by Iain Softley that you can watch online on iFILM. Helena Bonham Carter plays Kate Croy, a sharp-minded woman from a fallen aristocratic family who is secretly in love with journalist Merton Densher (Linus Roache). Her wealthy aunt Maude, played by Charlotte Rampling, has other plans — a respectable match, not a penniless writer.

Then Millie Theale arrives. Alison Elliott plays the terminally ill American heiress traveling through Europe, full of life and money she will not live long enough to spend. Kate sees an opening: if Merton gets close to Millie, earns her trust, perhaps her inheritance — then Kate and Merton can finally be together. The plan is ruthless. What makes the film uncomfortable is how understandable it becomes.

Adapted from Henry James's 1902 novel by screenwriter Hossein Amini, the film keeps the moral weight of the original while pushing its sensuality further than James ever put on the page. Bonham Carter here is sharper and colder than most of her career roles — this is the performance worth tracking down. Stream The Wings of the Dove (1997) online on iFILM.