Maurice (film)

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Maurice
Directed by James Ivory
Produced by Ismail Merchant
Paul Bradley
Written by E. M. Forster
Kit Hesketh-Harvey
James Ivory
Starring James Wilby
Hugh Grant
Rupert Graves
Denholm Elliott
Simon Callow
Billie Whitelaw
Music by Richard Robbins
Cinematography Pierre Lhomme
Editing by Katherine Wenning
Distributed by Cinecom Pictures (US)
Release date(s) 18 September 1987 (US)
Running time 140 min
Country Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom
Language English
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

Maurice is a 1987 film based on the novel of the same title by E. M. Forster. A tale of homosexual love in early 20th century England, it follows Maurice Hall from his school days, through university and beyond.

Produced by Merchant Ivory Productions and Channel Four Films, the film was directed by James Ivory and written by Ivory and Kit Hesketh-Harvey, produced by Ismail Merchant, with cinematography by Pierre Lhomme.

Starring James Wilby as Maurice, Hugh Grant as Clive and Rupert Graves as Alec. The supporting cast included Denholm Elliott as Dr Barry, Simon Callow as Mr Ducie, Billie Whitelaw as Mrs Hall and Ben Kingsley as Lasker-Jones.

Contents

Cameo

Maurice is 11 at the beginning of the film, rather than 14. The film omits almost all of the novel's philosophical dialogue, and also many subplots such as Maurice's love for the schoolboy Dickie. It expands the Wildean character of Lord Risley and his 6-month imprisonment with hard labour for homosexual conduct (he is not imprisoned in the novel), in order to dramatise the dangers of Edwardian homosexuality and provide a plot device by which Clive feels he must reject Maurice. No such plot device was in the novel. In one deleted scene released in the 2002 edition, Risley actually ends up committing suicide, but this was not shown in the film.

While undergoing hypnosis by Dr. Lasker-Jones in a desperate attempt to "cure" himself, Maurice reveals to him that he has slept with Alec Scudder. Lasker-Jones warns Maurice that at one time homosexuals were executed in Britain. In spite of this warning, Lasker-Jones, especially in the film, seems to be the most affirming character. Despite most of society's condemnations, he suggests that Maurice consider relocating to a country where homosexuality is not illegal and more tolerated, like France or Italy. Maurice asks him if England will ever change its attitudes towards homosexuality, to which Lasker-Jones replied that "England has always been disinclined to accept human nature."

The place of the final tryst between Maurice and Alec Scudder has a certain homoerotic symbolism when seen in the movie; the pseudo-Elizabethan boathouse alludes both to the Arts and Crafts movement that was so associated with Edward Carpenter (a visit by E.M. Forster to Carpenter and his lover George Merrill inspired the writing of Maurice), and also to the Elizabethan England of Christopher Marlowe ("all they that love not tobacco and boys are fools") and the Sonnets of Shakespeare. In the novel the "greenwood and the night" serve as the place of refuge, and the boathouse is only alluded to.

In 2002 a special edition DVD of the film was released with a new documentary and deleted scenes with director's commentary.

Venice Film Festival

Academy Awards

v • d • e
Films by Merchant Ivory Productions

The Householder • Shakespeare Wallah • The Guru • Bombay Talkie • Savages • The Wild Party • Autobiography of a Princess • Roseland • Hullabaloo Over Georgie and Bonnie's Pictures • The Five Forty-Eight • The Europeans • Jane Austen in Manhattan • Quartet • Courtesans of Bombay • Heat and Dust • The Bostonians • A Room with a View • Maurice • The Deceivers • Slaves of New York • Mr. & Mrs. Bridge • The Perfect Murder • The Ballad of the Sad Cafe • Street Musicians of Bombay • Howards End • The Remains of the Day • In Custody • Feast of July • Jefferson in Paris • The Proprietor • Surviving Picasso • Side Streets • A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries • Cotton Mary • The Golden Bowl • The Mystic Masseur • Le Divorce • Heights • The White Countess • The City of Your Final Destination
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_%28film%29"
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