Steve Hayes reviews the 1987 gay romance:
James Wilby, Hugh Grant and Rupert Graves turn in subtle and brilliant performances in Merchant Ivory's adaptation of E. M. Forester's romantic gay love story, Maurice. Published after Forester's death and hidden for decades, it concerns the romance of a two young men at Cambridge at the turn of the century, what their love affair costs them and how they manage to find peace and happiness in a society which forbids, admonishes, and punishes them for their inclinations. Gloriously photographed, meticulously directed, and exceptionally cast, it is one of the greatest and most honest love stories ever filmed.
What I Say: Your Head Trucker has written before in the Blue Truck about reading the newly published novel one weekend when I was 17, and what a seminal experience that was in my young gay life - seeing all my deepest feelings portrayed in print for the first time.
But although the film is indeed beautifully photographed, it left me cold: I just could not believe that the three leads could actually be attracted to one other, despite their best attempts at acting that way. So the movie was completely unconvincing from first to last, for me: as if they were all just reading the lines but not feeling them. (For the record, all the other Merchant Ivory films were likewise disappointing, for the same reason - lovely to look at but played without real emotions, and deadly boring to watch. I would have thought two gay guys could have done better on that score.)
Maybe one day it will get remade with actual gay actors who can deliver the umph of passion and attraction that this version lacked. What did you fellas think of the movie, I wonder?
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3 comments:
Loved every minute of it - found the performances very convincing. À chacun son goût je suppose.
Though I read many of Forster's books Maurice is one I haven't read and must get around to.
It was the first gay novel I ever read - I found it enormously moving in 1972, but your mileage may vary.
Also you may like a collection of his gay-themed short stories called The Life to Come, which were, like Maurice, published posthumously. It's out of print now, but if you can find it, the eponymous story, about the love between an uptight missionary and a young African chief, is very well done.
Thanks for the recommendation.
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