This month's movie is Maurice.
An adaptation of E M. Forster's book by the same name, it tells the story of coming of age as a homosexual in restriction English Edwardian society, through the lives of Clive Durham (Hugh Grant) and Maurice Hall (James Wilby). "As two Cambridge undergraduates who fall in love, the film is set amidst the hypocritical homoerotic subculture of the English university in Forster's time. In an environment in which any reference to " the unspeakable vice of the Greeks" is omitted, and any overture toward a physical relationship between men might be punishable by law, Maurice and Clive struggle to come to terms with their own feelings toward each other and toward a repressive society." (Merchant Ivory Productions)
Not confined to just the front rooms, the story turns to find the undergameskeeper Alec Scudder (Rupert Graves) and his influence in the telling of this story of discovery, acceptance and denial.
E.M. Forster's story, which he began writing in 1913, was not published until his death in 1971, is same sex love story, that was not used to teach a moral lesson of condemnation but of sharing the beauty of love found.
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Original Theatrical Trailer for Maurice
Come join and discuss!
45 comments:
I am excited! I missed the last movie club cos I was away. And Maurice, for a long time, was one of my favourite films. Even though I haven't watched it for a while.
Needless to say, it's beautifully made in the traditional Merchant/Ivory quality. *SPOILER* - What interested and saddened me the most is that this story is both fiercely romantic and unrealistic. I really see the story as a fantasy E M Forster wrote for himself... he dreamt that a pair of lovers like Maurice and Alec, coming from such different backgrounds, could against all odds, abandon everything, retreat to the country and just be together. It's a romantic notion that sadly, probably would never have happened. Not in that era.
But I doubt anyone who watch the film would mind this, and I doubt anyone wouldn't be moved by Maurice, he's bewildered, heartbroken, vulnerable and couragous... it's hard not to love him.
*gotta run - be back for more - happy discussion, everyone!*
Wasn't this film just so beautiful - I hadn't seen it in many, many years, and I had the same reaction to it watching it again as I did the first time, catching my breath from the passionate scenes (such as Alec asking Maurice to spend the night with him), and crying at the end from the tragedy of Clive's choice - you think he's made his peace with his decision until he's looking out the window of his bedroom, his wife in the background, and he still remembers and thinks of Maurice from their school days - just tragic that he had to, or felt he had to, sacrifice his happiness. Masculine privilege, which sometimes we women remark upon, doesn't always free a man, but only traps him. The musical score is haunting, full of the sense of mystery and awe of love, I felt. Maurice is so filled with the optimism of his natural feelings, and to follow them, thankfully. Beautifully, beautifully done. I'll probably have more to say as I think of it too. Enjoy! :)
^^And speaking of holding one's breath, catching one's breath, breath being a life force, I couldn't help but be affected by the scene where Maurice, (either dreaming or under hypnosis?) pictures himself holding the hand of a woman as if they are married, all in white, skin pale and looking dead, lying in a boat set adrift as in a water burial. The boat is leaking, and as it fills with water, Maurice is seen trying to bail out, but unable to keep up with the displacement, as if that kind of life, living a lie, would suffocate and drown him, he comes to the realization that that kind of a life would kill him, spiritually if not literally. Very haunting and sad that people have been and are oppressed in this way.
I have to say that this was one of the most beautiful movies that I have seen in a long time. It struck me as both enlightening and haunting at the same time. It was so sad to see Maurice and Clive discover the intense power of love which is spontaneous and given freely to then have to denounce and bury it due to the complexities of real life obligations and societies view of acceptance. It was also heartbreaking to watch Clive break Maurice’s heart and leave him in pain and confusion instead of just admitting to him that he was afraid. The fact that Maurice later tries to “cure” himself in therapy of his homosexual feelings just reinforced the perplexity that he and I’m sure so many others have faced at some point in their lives when trying to come to terms with physical and emotional love.
yes, sacrifice and regrets. it's not just Maurice who give up a lot to be with his love and be true to himself, Alec also gave up his opportunity to climb up to social ladder (he plans to go to Argentina to become a successful business man, so he can get rid of his working-class status in England)... true love and being yourself has a high price tag. we never find out if Maurice and Alec lived happily ever after, but we would certainly like to think so.
I agree the last scene when Clive look out the window, with Maurice in his mind, is filled with longing and regrets.
Great comments. Finally have time to post mine - warning though, I'm a bit more "practical" but as Maurice says, a leopard can't change his spots. ;)
First, the opening scenes on the beach made me realized I had forgotten how visually gorgeous that movie is. God knows the transfer and fine-tuning you get on the DVD were highly worth it.
It's been long years since I last watched Maurice but I still enjoyed it immensely, though maturity being by side this time around, I tend to agree with Winterbird in thinking that Forster probably wrote himself a beautiful "fantasy". Actually, in the end I couldn't help but wonder about the aftermath of Maurice & Alec's mutual love statement.
An interesting thing is to see Maurice declaring that he loves Alec after having slept with him like, twice? And having absolutely no idea about who that man is, his dreams, his plans, etc. Is sex-starved Morrie really speaking with his heart or with his (cough, cough) membrum virilis. ;) We know he's certainly not letting his head do the talking, not like Clive who will become another Ennis, only with more money, charm, connections and vocabulary.
Yet, you're given enough hints along the way to make you more than happy to suspend disbelief. Alec may be underschooled but he's no fool and he's a go-ahead ambitious guy. Maurice may come from a privileged background but he's basically a businessman at heart and is not eager to flash around the credentials of a prestigious college. Both business-oriented, both smart, both willing to sail from one milieu to the next, both daring � ok, now it's easier to think that things might work out just fine between them in the long run. :)
On the music side, a thing that stood out to me is when Alec first climb up to Maurice's bedroom. At first the score sounds like Jaws (some kind of somber "dum � dum � dum"), then it flows out all passionate and romantic as they fall in each other's arms. If I'm not mistaken they use that musical sequence in another scene, also with Alec.
I felt much more sympathy for Maurice as I watched the movie again. I remembered him as a bossy, arrogant and not very likable character, particularly at home. This time his brusqueness and false irony and arrogance come across as many guises to hide his fear, loneliness and anguish.
Believe it or not, I remembered clearly Clive looking out the window in the final scenes, but not the flashback of Maurice in their schooldays. I found this scene totally heartbreaking; proof again that less is indeed more.
One last thing: I'm always fascinated by this tradition of old English public (read "private") schools where the dean actually entertains the students and they discuss as equals. Is this still common practice today?
I really loved that movie and I'm actually happy I haven't watched the supplements yet. More fun in store for me. :)
Quick comment during lunch break from packing. Will come back from more.
It was Clive and Maurice falling into their "bachelor" roles in the city. To their social circle they were just lovely eligible bachelors, but they had such a domesticity to their relationship. Help the other undoing their collars and cuffs, they had fallen into their roles a partners with such ease.
I think that Clive was so stunned at Maurice saying that he had been with Scudder, something he had not allowed them to do.
But here is a question for those who watched the movie? Who's relationship seem more intimate. Scudder and Maurice, or Clive and Maurice. And yes there is a difference between intimate and passionate.
^^Quickly, because I have to run as well, I'm gonna say the relationship between Maurice and Clive was more intimate, because you could see it develop over time as they got to know each other, until they reached the scene in your first picture above, Special. And it was Clive who told Maurice he loved him first.
With Alec, you could see it was more passion, he was infatuated with Maurice, and finally acted upon it, when he climbed up to Maurice's window, having watched Maurice restless nights as he looked out his window. When Alew joined him in bed, Maurice looked heavenward as if to say, yes, yes, it's everything I hoped it would be. I'll elaborate later! :)
I had never seen this movie until last night. Sorry, but I disliked it. I spent most of the movie wondering when and if this boy was ever gonna get laid in his life! I did not like either Clive or Maurice. I only started liking Maurice when he got together with Scudder.
I say the Maurice/Scudder was both more intimate and more passionate. I say this because Clive was unable to be a true intimate to Maurice while continuing to hold him at arm's length. For Clive, their relationship was acceptable as long as it remained platonic, and Clive was going to vigorously enforce that boundary. Maurice wanted so much more. The potential for true intimacy never existed between them. The potential for true intimacy does exist between Maurice and Scudder. Although the class thing...whoa. I'd love to see the sequel to this where Maurice and Scudder navigate the class divide.
Help the other undoing their collars and cuffs, they had fallen into their roles a partners with such ease.
Wasn't that just so beautiful, and very intimate. And the peaceful, lost-in-each-other expressions on their faces. I think Maurice was fulfilled with Alec, and with the acceptance and of his sexuality.
OK, I mean it this time, back later! :)
But here is a question for those who watched the movie? Who's relationship seem more intimate. Scudder and Maurice, or Clive and Maurice. And yes there is a difference between intimate and passionate.
No hesitation from me: Maurice and Clive. But time is the factor here - they went to school together, have shared (no pun intended) their mutual sexual awakening, same background and social situations which allow them to meet openly and repeatedly and get to know each other well. And strict rules laid down by Clive from the beginning: no kissing, no intimacy, pure feelings and pure bodies so to speak. Made me feel that Clive wanted to stay an eternal schoolboy with his chum.
The story makes it clear that it's Risley' fallout with the law and his subsequent imprisonment that ultimately terrify Clive into giving up even the most chaste display of affection. Also, he has strong political ambitions and any public disgrace is simply unthinkable.
We don't get to see if Maurice and Alec will be allowed to reach that level of intimacy. Maybe if they move to France or Italy as is suggested in the film? What else do these two strikingly different men have in common? What will they "share" after the first sparks of passion have subsided?
I don't know how to compare the two relationships.
I'd say that Clive "opened" Maurice's eyes to the possibility of love between two men. They came from the similar backgrounds, love the same things, they fit each other like gloves, except that Clive has a very different idea of what that love consists of. I think Clive has somewhat "purified" the idea of homosexuality (or at least he convinced himself of that), he certainly isn't ashamed of loving Maurice, but he wouldn't even allow himself to be physically intimate with Maurice, because he believe it's a disgusting act. In fact, during the "sex scene" between Clive and his wife, you can tell he's awkward about it. That's very revealing of his character.
On the other hand, Alec showed Maurice how to express love between two men. This is almost done to discredit Clive's belief (that sex between two men is disgusting), because the audience can tell how liberated and yes, how passionate two men can be through the act of love-making. Even though they both seem to jump to "let's be together" decision quickly, but I wouldn't discredit how deeply in love they are. And I don't think it was a light decision for both of them.
One quick correction to my comment above:
I didn't mean that Clive laying down the "no kissing" law made them more intimate, just that they had an established, known framewokd in which they both seemed comfortable enough. Even with the lack of physical intimacy, Maurice is eager to see Clive return from Greece and he's devastated when Clive tells him they have to change.
New/old pix of Jake and Naomi leaving Joan's on Third in January. Nice reminder that there are other people in Jake's life besides the General.
I don't know where to start about this film, I've loved it and before it the book, for so long and am probably too close to both to give any kind of objective review. I agree with winterbird it's Forster's fantasy, though none the worse for that. I think he is in love with Maurice and in lust with Alec and that's why they win out over Clive, Cambridge, and marriage - Forster's fantasy of love in the greenwood with no responsibilities. There is no aftermath; the poignancy of the dedication in the book, to a better year, just before WW1, says it all - there was no better year to come. If they stayed in England they'd have been in the war (so I hope they went to Argentina later in the unseen aftermath).
The extraordinary denial in Clive marrying Maurice's sister because he can't marry Maurice and won't be with him.
Great acting by all the leads especially the ever underrated James Wilby. Was ever a scene from a book so well realised as the British Museum scene?
"New/old pix of Jake and Naomi leaving Joan's on Third in January. Nice reminder that there are other people in Jake's life besides the General."
It's also a painful reminder of how many non-industry friends and family members are not in Jake's public life now.
I didn't think it was possible to be more boring than Reese, but Abbie proved me wrong!
dlisted's take on Ryan and Abbie
I too saw this movie many years ago and had either forgotten much of it or had spaced out and did not see the last few scenes. I certainly had no memory of that passionately hot kiss that ends the movie when Scudder and Maurice meet at the boathouse after his ship sails. My view of the movie was greatly influenced by BBM and I found myself comparing it to BBM many times. The director was equally successful as Ang Lee in conveying the emotions felt, the sexual longing and the sexual intimacy between Scudder and Maurice.
I watched the bonus material which included some deleted scenes. These showed that Scudder had observed Maurice at Clive's estate more than we saw in the film. Both acotrs(straight men) also commented that they received 100s of letters from gay men after the film was released saying that seeing the film gave them the confidence to come out. The director also noted that it was one of the few gay films to have a happy ending. No one died and the ending implies they lived happily ever after.
If Scudder's the undergameskeeper, is there an overgameskeeper?
The other thing that screams intimacy always to me is taking care of another when they are sick. When Clive had his "meltdown" (it's terrible was society does to us), Maurice was there for him, having no hesitation to attend to his personal matters. Oh yes, that scene at the British museum was wonderful, where when asked his name, Maurice said Scudder. So I think Clive and Maurice had the long slow burn that was never fulfilled, Alec and Maurice had a more fiery, passionate start that certainly had the potential for and showed all the signs of being a very intimate relationship too, and for overcoming the class divide. I found Alec's passion for Maurice to be quite breathtaking. It would be nice to know what the future held for them, there's an epilogue to the book. I've never read it the book, and I should.
The director was equally successful as Ang Lee in conveying the emotions felt, the sexual longing and the sexual intimacy between Scudder and Maurice.
I thought so too, and also the confusion and regret in Clive, much like Ennis. I don't think Clive thought it was disgusting, it was he who initiated the relationship with Maurice. I think Clive wrestled with his decision mightily, going off to Greece to think, having seen one of their school chums being arrested, sent to prison and ruined, a suicide when they were at school, these things affected him deeply. I don't think limiting the relationship was something he took lightly. I remember the first time I saw this film, how beautiful the relationships were, breathtaking.
The extraordinary denial in Clive marrying Maurice's sister because he can't marry Maurice and won't be with him.
"Same eyes, same voice...", you can see Clive is suddenly seeing some kind of way out while somewhat remaining in. :)
The other thing that screams intimacy always to me is taking care of another when they are sick.
And Maurice telling Clive that he can go on being sick all night and he will still be attended to. Yup, there's an undeniable level of domesticity in their relationship. Even the doctor senses it and makes a thinly-veiled disparaging remark about it.
There is no aftermath; the poignancy of the dedication in the book, to a better year, just before WW1, says it all - there was no better year to come.
I've read bits and pieces of the book. The problem is that it's stuck in the middle of a big brick containing A Room with A View and Howards End. I should never buy those "best of" kind of books. They're too heavy and I always end up not reading each of the novels properly.
But here is an interesting passage by Forster in the Terminal Note section of my copy:
(...) it was I who gave Clive his "hellenic" temperament and flung him into Maurice's affectionate arms. Once there, he took charge, he laid down the lines on which the unusual relationship should proceed. He believed in platonic restraint and induced Maurice to acquiesce, which does not seem to me at all unlikely. Maurice at this stage is humble and inexperienced and adoring, he is the soul released from prison, and if asked by his deliverer to remain chaste he obeys.
Forster also mentions how typically English their relationship is; he doesn't think an Italian boy would have put up with so much restraint. ;)
Talking about underrated James Wilby, one has to salute the great cast. I hadn't seen Denhom Elliot in a long time. What a great actor too. And Hugh Grant, whom I can't stand usually does a really fine job here.
The director was equally successful as Ang Lee in conveying the emotions felt, the sexual longing and the sexual intimacy between Scudder and Maurice.
ITA. On the other hand it's quite the anti-BBM in a way; here the big blond handsome guy gets the sexy darker fellow. :D
^^Oh yeah, Maurice had a gorgeous a$$ and thighs, don't ya think? ;)
Yup, but the a$$ was nicely covered if I remember correctly - or did I miss something!?! ;D
One thing that was also covered nicely was that microphone that used to hang over Maurice's head as he spoke to a leaving Alec (2nd encounter in town). I spent that whole scene watching out for that damn mike but it had disappeared behind the black band on top of the screen. :D
I thought I got a little peek when he went to the Drs. to be examined? ;)
Scudder half dressed with just the shirt. : )
What I find even more interesting is that Merchant Ivory did this movie when they did. In 1987, to have a movie with gay storyline that had a happy ending to the love story was unheard of but so needed. There were so few happy endings in the early years of AIDS.
I thought this was interesting observation (from Wikipedia) about the scene in the boathouse.
"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."
^^Beautiful, Special. I keep saying I should read the book, and I'm going to. :)
"But here is a question for those who watched the movie? Who's relationship seem more intimate. Scudder and Maurice, or Clive and Maurice. And yes there is a difference between intimate and passionate."
Of course Clive and Maurice’s' relationship was more intimate on the surface since they fell in love slowly and had more time to get to know each other. Unfortunately that’s where it ends since I think Clive was more interested in the "idea" of intimacy with a man rather than the actual act itself. The more I think back on it I'm sure it was a control issue as well.
The intimacy between Maurice and Alec was more real in actuality because Alec was so upfront with his feelings and desires. Maurice was then able to tap into his own desires as well. It’s pretty intimate in my opinion when someone can help you discover yourself. I didn't get too much passion from either pairing but I was definitely glad that Maurice and Alec ended up together.
I also noticed the music too. It was very subtle but effective in setting the mood of the characters as well as the pace of story overall. It was the same with BBM. The music was so intertwined with the story that you almost "don't" notice it - if that makes sense.
I'm glad the movie ended on a good note too. It implied a happy ending - or at least a new start - which left the viewer in a good place.
I have to say in response to your post Wicked that I was bored in the first half hour. I was wondering when I was going to start actually feeling anything about these characters. I think the moment I really got into the movie was the scene when Clive watched Risley go to jail after he didn't step in to help him. It made me think of Ennis in BBM when he was forced to look at the two dead men in the ditch when he was a child. It made me wonder what Clive must have been feeling at the time. I had immediate sympathy for him. I’m sure that moment was a life changing for him in many ways.
I have to say in response to your post Wicked that I was bored in the first half hour.
Believe me, I can understand the movie might not be every one's cup of tea. :)
Personally, having seen the film before, I was eagerly awaiting the scene where Maurice and Clive really hug each other like lovers for the first time. I loved the way Maurice slowly caresses Clive's hair and the slow pacing of that first embrace. And the stunned look on Maurice's face as it dawns on him that this is IT. This is what he wants! And the impact of that scene is even stronger because the director was smart enough not to drown it in a floury of syrupy music; you end up hearing the cracking of the chair as Clive climbs nearer (you don't want to know how much I longed to hear that sound again – it's almost embarrassing!), the rustling of the shirts (sigh). I love it when a director gives the viewers precious moments like that.
(…) a visit by E.M. Forster to Carpenter and his lover George Merrill inspired the writing of Maurice (…)
That's interesting. It might account for the happy ending. Forster was inspired by an existing long-term relationship between two men (a far cry from those lonely men Annie Proulx witnessed in Wyoming for instance).
This talk about the novel made me want to see the differences between the movie and the book. I found a link to the script and I thought some of you might be interested so here it is.
Maurice Script
I have to say I don't really like Merchant Ivory films too much. I have difficulty relating to the characters. The only character I really liked in this movie was Scudder.
When we were watching the movie last night, Mrs. said that there was a gay club in Austin, TX when she was in school there called The Boathouse.
I asked the Mrs. how she thought Clive would deal with losing Maurice. Would he ever realize at some point that he had lost the love of his life? She said oh no, he would convince himself that it had all worked out as it should and that his life was totally happy.
I have to say I don't really like Merchant Ivory films too much. I have difficulty relating to the characters.
Yea they're hard to read, kinda cold and unemotional. I don't get how they relate cos I'm not like that at all. Its like whats not said and too much into class-caste system and what others think. Hated remains of the day..didnt get it at all. Sorry but didnt see Maurice for that reason. Knew I wouldnt get it.
I've never been a fan of Merchant Ivory either, but I think it's not because of the film makers technique but that they tend to do victorian era subjects and I have little tolerance for the class system and the repression of those times. I am so glad I live in CA, and in the present times.
After reading all the comments, I ordered the book from amazon - the paperback was pretty cheap. I'm curious now to see the differences and if the characters reveal more in print.
I have to say I don't really like Merchant Ivory films too much. I have difficulty relating to the characters.
The M-I movies are too....English. LOL!!
M you're in Canada or California or Caracas or Cairo??
Interesting comments about the class system.
I think there have always been classes in America as well, the difference being that money could afford you mobility and credentials in the social ladder, whereas in Europe, even riches could never buy you a title or the social background or pedigree of a "real gentleman". So no matter how successful you were, your rep was irremediably marred by your birth.
Yet, if Maurice and Alec had been in America instead of England, my advice would still be that of Lasker-Jones: run away to France or Italy guys!
She said oh no, he would convince himself that it had all worked out as it should and that his life was totally happy.
ITA. Particularly if he has a problem with the physical side of sex and if his dreams are for success as a politician and a socialite. He would convince himself that this was just some young-man foolish infatuation.
"She said oh no, he would convince himself that it had all worked out as it should and that his life was totally happy."
Thats interesting because I got the exact opposite feeling. I thought he did realize his mistake and had regrets not only for losing Maurice but for losing his soul as well. When he says to his wife at the window "I was just giving a speech" it felt like he was in agony with himself.
I actually feel like I totally "got" this movie even though I'm not really into victorian type themes either. I just cant relate for the most part. Thats probably why I never saw it previously. I just assumed I wouldn't like it. But any movie with Hugh Grant in it I seem to like for some reason.
CA means California.
:) they are English characters, of a specific time. Wicked, whaddya mean, Remains of the Day was replete, overflowing with emotion :) - no, I'm serious.
oh "Remains of the Day"... there's another Ennis there. Another character which I wish i get a dollar every time I want to knock some sense into his thick rigid head.
Heartbreaking. Another great love story.
^ that was me. Sorry
This has for quite some time been one of my favourite films. Clive reminds me a little of Cecil from A Room With A View, in that he is almost incapable of being physiclly intimate with anyone not even in Clives case the person whom he loves. Even in the moments when he and Maurice are alone I always had the sence that there was an invisible line between the two which Clive wouldnt dare cross. Some may dissagree but when reading the book and watching the film I can never shake the feeling that Clive was more in love with himself than with Maurice, he talked down to him and whats worse Maurice allowed himself to be spoken down to. Later in the film when Maurice shows signs of pattronising Alec in a simmilar way, he is quicklly put in his place 'you shouldnt treat me like a dog'.
On the DVD There is one deleted scene were Maurice and Alec are lying in bed together and talking, which I think shows just how intimate they were with each other. There is something in the way that they gaze into each others eyes, gently touch one another and the way in which Scudder plays with Maurices hair all through the short scene that shows they were completley relaxed in each others company from the get go. It is a real shame it didnt make into the final cut, because it gives an insight into what they felt for on another.
Sometimes you fall in love with some one over time as Maurice and Clive did. Sometimes it just happens to you and you dont have any control over how you feel. It is just meant to be, this is how I feel about Maurice and Alec. They loved each other and whats more unlike Clives, Alec's love was unconditional. That having been said you would have to have had a heart of stone not to have felt for Clive in that final scene.
I hate to be pedantic but the film is set in the Edwardian era just prior to the outbreak of WWI and is not victorian, as a couple of posts have said. Whilst I am not a big fan of the latter victorian era I have always been facinated by the edwardians.
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