MAURICE

UK, 1987, 140 minutes, Colour.
James Wilby, Rupert Graves, Hugh Grant, Ben Kingsley, Denholm Elliott, Simon Callow, Billie Whitelaw, Barry Foster, Judy Parfitt, Phoebe Nicholls.
Directed by James Ivory.

Maurice is a film version of E.M. Forster's semi-autobiographical novel, 'Maurice'. It is produced by Ismael Merchant and directed by James Ivory, the team responsible for the excellent adaptation of Forster's A Room With a View. After a career in India, Ivory made a number of adaptations of American and English classics, including Henry James' The Europeans and The Bostonians, Jean Rhys's Quartet as well as the Forster adaptations.

The film elegantly re-creates the period of the Edwardian era in decor and costumes. It also re-creates society, university and, business. It also recreates an atmosphere of the status of homosexuals in the period after Oscar Wilde - Forster did not publish the novel during his lifetime for fear of recriminations. The film explores the theme of male relationships.

James Wilby is effective in the central role (and went on to make A Handful of Dust. Hugh Grant and Rupert Graves, (A Room with a View, A Handful of Dust) act well as the men who relate to the central character. There is an excellent gallery of English character actors and actresses in the supporting roles, including Billie Whitelaw as the hero's mother, Denholm Elliott as the doctor friend, Ben Kingsley as a hypnotist.

The film is an interesting adaptation of Forster's work as well as a recreation of Forster's world.

1. The impact of the film: drama, exploration of themes?. The creation of period? The perspective of E.M. Forster: society, relationships, homosexuality?

2. The re-creation of period: pre-World War one, the English coast, the countryside, the estates, the use of Cambridge locations, London, offices, wharves? Costumes and decor? The musical score: background, period, choir music?

3. The adaptation of the novel, its reputation, Forster's view? The perspective of the '80s?

4. The comment on England and the English, their attitude towards human nature, Puritan traditions, Christianity, society, propriety and respectability, the law?

5. The introduction and the teacher. the boys on the seashore, educated together, prim style? The teacher as a father, explaining sexuality, the drawings on the sand, the use of Latin tags? The irony of the women seeing the drawings and hurrying their daughters away? His kindness and concern, his expectations, the wager about the marriage in ten years?
The gentle irony in his meeting Maurice in the museum ten years later, trying to identify him, his being mistaken, his concern?

6. The glimpses of Maurice's early life, the use of places and dates for the structure of the film, audiences filling in the back round? Audiences getting to know Maurice, understanding him, feeling with him?

7. The world of Cambridge, Maurice and his background, study, his mother's support and her love, the friendship of the doctor, his relationship with his sisters? The Greek tutorial and the Dean translating (omitting the reference to the relationship of the Greeks)? The impact of the exploration of Plato's philosophy and love? The reception and Lord Risley
and his pomposity and talk? Maurice's reaction? The meeting with Clive, the common interest in music, the growing friendship, the motor bike ride and skipping classes? Clive's declaration of love and its impact on Maurice, his recoiling? Clive resisting Maurice? The growing intimacy, semi-platonic ideas? Maurice being sent down and having to go to work? Clive's reaction, the family reaction?

8. Maurice at home, the religious atmosphere and his decision not to go to church (and the discussion with Clive and the rejection of Christianity)? The visits to Clive and his mother? The servants and their place, Simcock and his reticence but knowing what went on? The maids - and their seeing Clive and Maurice together in the room? Their reticence? Maurice and Clive and their careers, the bonds between the two families, the visits? Clive's success, his fainting and his illness, Maurice taking care of him?

9. Lord Risley in the bar, the encounter with the soldiers, the bets about the sixpence, the seduction and his arrest, his plea to Clive to defend him, going to court, the condemnation by the judge, the sentence, Clive's presence? Maurice and his reading the paper in the train, the approach by the old man in the train and his rejection? Maurice and his generosity, training the youth to box? At home with men? In the shower room, the horseplay in the shower?

10. Clive and his decision to go to Greece, the beauty of the vistas, the letters, his visit to the family, his friendship with Ada? Maurice's angry reaction and hurting Ada about the relationship with Clive,- his later apology? Clive and his decision to get married, the phone call, putting Anne on the phone? Maurice's being hurt? The question of going to the wedding, his going to the wedding and his presence?

11. The beauty of Pendersleigh: Maurice being at home there, with Clive and Anne? Pippa and her husband? The hunting, Maurice going hunting? The presence of Scudder and their ignoring them, Scudder as a servant? The film's introducing of Scudder unobtrusively - but yet a strong presence? Scudder watching Maurice? The leak in the house and having to move the piano, Scudda's presence? Maurice leaning out the window and Scudder seeing hie?

12. The character of Scudder, the servant, his place? His work? Watching Maurice, seeing him at the window? The talk and Maurice's rebuff? His coming during the night, the relationship, the night together? Maurice telling Clive? His leaving and Maurice's embarrassment with Sincock? The cricket match, Scudder and Maurice playing? The notes - and Maurice misinterpreting and fearing blackmail? Maurice accosting him at his work, their going to the museum (and the encounter with the teacher)? The night together in London? The sensuality, the emotional relationship? The decision about migrating? Maurice going to the boat, meeting Scudder's family? Scudder not there? His decision to go to the boathouse, finding Scudder - and his not receiving the telegram? The future for the two men?

13. The importance of Maurice's going to his doctor friend, the talk about relationships, homosexuality, the physical examination? The doctor's reassuring Maurice? His going to the psychiatrist, the hypnosis, the picture on the wall, the blocks about talking the truth, his fears about blackmail, the sexual encounter between the visits to the hypnotist? The inability to find a cure?

14. The cricket match, the encounter with Clive? Clive and Anne thinking that Maurice was going to get married? Telling the truth to Clive?

15. The sequences between Clive and Anne, a happy marriage, place in society? Clive looking, at the end, towards the boat-house, regrets?

16. The effectiveness of the film as drama, portraits of people in themselves, relationships? Forster communicating his perceptions of relationships and homosexual relationships, audience understanding and response?