MAURICE, the 1987 Merchant Ivory film was shown on television late one night last weekend. A difficult subject sensitively handled. It moved me .... perhaps even more than when I saw it on its initial release in the cinema.
Beautifully realised and well acted throughout, it deals with the coming of age of a couple of young British university students during the first decade of the 20th Century. Brilliantly played by Hugh Grant as Clive Durham and James Wilby as Maurice Hall, the two young men discover their homosexuality through each other and try to come to terms with it. One can easily imagine the emotional rollercoaster anyone going on this journey will experience, but during the era in question such a trauma will have been even more difficult than it would be today. Attitudes were already beginning to change about certain social issues and were really quite liberal for the day, but homosexuality was certainly not one of them. It was to remain a subject very much taboo for at least another sixty years, even though homosexuality was indisputably rife in schools, colleges and universities throughout the land.
The liaison of Clive and Maurice comes to the attention of the headmaster and Maurice is expelled. He goes home to his dysfunctional family where his father, played by Denholm Elliott tells him he is probably more cut out for a job in the city anyway.
Meanwhile Clive finishes university and gives in to the pressures of society by marrying the beautiful Anne, played by Phoebe Nicholls. Maurice is a frequent guest at their house. He is unable to understand Clive’s desire to suppress his true sexual leaning. He turns to hypnosis to cure his own unspeakable longings. It proves to be unsuccessful though, especially once he meets Clive's broodingly sullen, rough and ready gamekeeper, Alec Scudder, marvellously played by Rupert Graves. Although living in very different social spheres both men question the rules of their society which try so hard to keep them apart. Maurice eventually realises he is prepared to risk public censure and disgrace in order to hold onto his chance of love.
Much has changed, even since the 1980s. This is an unashamedly gay love story and although sensitively and tenderly portrayed, the film will initially undoubtedly have raised renewed questions about how much social attitudes had actually changed since the beginning of that century.
14/11/03
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