- Actors: James Wilby, Hugh Grant, Rupert Graves
- Director: James Ivory
- Format: Subtitled, Widescreen
- Language: English
- Subtitles: English
- Region: Region A/1
- Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
- Number of discs: 2
- Rated: R
- Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
- Release Date: September 5, 2017
- Run Time: 140 minutes
Director James
Ivory and producer Ismail Merchant were a distinct filmmaking team best known
for their adaptations of E.M. Forster novels. Their first big hit was A Room with a View (1985), and their
largest success is often considered to be Howard’s
End (1992), but between these two they also adapted Forster’s novel about
homosexuality in pre-World War I English society. Maurice may not be as well known as the other Merchant-Ivory
Forster adaptations, but it has all of the familiar elements and themes found
in their better remembered films. Rich in costumes and production design that
accurately depict the times, Maurice
also continues the trend of examining the gap between classes, while also
adding the themes about sexuality in a society that had deemed homosexuality to
be criminal.
Despite a clear
criticism of English views on homosexuality, and a storyline that still feels
relevant, Maurice was not the first
film during this time to tackle the subject. Just a few years earlier, Stephen
Frears had released My Beautiful
Laundrette, which examined the issue alongside immigration in modern England.
The difference with Maurice is the
civilized approach, meant to mirror the careful posturing of upper class during
this period in England.
This is a style that Mechant and Ivory all but perfected in their work
together, and despite the narrative dragging in sections, they show this skill
with ease in Maurice.
The story
follows the sexual awakening of the title character, Maurice Hall (James
Wilby), who falls in love with a classmate named Clive Durham (Hugh Grant)
while at Cambridge.
Despite the threats of imprisonment and constant reminders that these
inclinations were “the unspeakable vice of the Greeks,” Maurice and Clive find
themselves drawn to each other. When Clive resists this forbidden love and
decides to do the respectable thing by marrying a young woman, Maurice is left
to grapple with the feelings and what they say about his identity.
Despite his
heartbreak, Maurice continues his friendship with Clive, if only to keep up
appearances. When visiting his former university lover, Maurice is seduced by
one of Clive’s servants, a lower class man named Alec Scudder (Rupert Graves),
forcing him to take stock of his own sexuality once and for all. He even tries
unsuccessfully to remove these urges with the help of American junk
psychologist, Lasker-Jones (Ben Kingsley), who attempts to hypnotize the gay
out of Maurice. Ultimately, Maurice must shed his concern for appearance and
snobbery in Edwardian society, learning how to let go and love, from a servant
of all people.
Honest and
accurate as the production of Maurice
is in its depiction of the era’s attitudes towards sexuality and class, this
still feels like somewhat of a minor entry into the Merchant-Ivory filmography.
Part of the problem is the length and meandering pace to the narrative. At
140-minutes, the film often loses focus of its main themes for sub-plots and
numerous extraneous supporting characters. Heavy in dialogue, there are entire
scenes filled with surface chatter, despite the real story taking place in the
silence of actions underneath. While all of the film looks fabulous in its
depiction of the period, as all Merchant-Ivory films are known for
accomplishing, the story often lacks the same urgency and impressiveness
despite three spectacularly dedicated performances from the leading men.
The new 30th
Anniversary Blu-ray release of Maurice
features a 4K restoration of the film presented in high definition, along with
new special features. Due to the length of the film and the number of extras,
there is a second disc just for the special features. These include a making-of
feature, an additional featurette about the story of Maurice, deleted and alternate takes with optional commentary by
Ivory, and a conversation with the filmmakers. New extras include an on-stage
Q&A between Ivory and cinematographer Pierre Lhomme, as well as a
conversation between Ivory and director Tom McCarthy (Spotlight). There is also
a booklet insert included in the package, which has an introduction from Ivory,
an interview with Wilby, and an essay on the film by John Pym.
Entertainment Value:
5.5/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 8/10
Historical
Significance: 7.5/10
Special Features: 8/10
No comments:
Post a Comment