Search - Maurice: The Merchant Ivory Collection on DVD

Content Advisory: Brief Nudity, Nudity, Adult Situations, Not For Children, Adult Language Movie Release: 1987 DVD Release: 02/24/2004 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Audio Tracks: English Subtitles: English SwapaDVD Credits: 2 Number of Discs: 2 Run Time: 2 hrs 20 mins Studio: Merchant Ivory Members Wishing: 20 Genres: Drama, Period Film, Gay & Lesbian Films

Director James Ivory brings his subdued, "Masterpiece Theater" style to a forbidden subject -- homosexual love. Maurice is based on E.M. Forster's suppressed 1914 novel that was held back from publication until after his death. The film takes place at Cambridge, before World War I, when homosexuality was outlawed in Great Britain. Clive (Hugh Grant), an aristocratic Englishman with a life of privilege, suddenly shocks his close friend Maurice (James Wilby) by declaring his love for him. Maurice is initially stunned by the pronouncement, but in the end finds himself giving Clive a passionate kiss and telling him that he loves him as well. Clive, in the stiff-upper-lip British manner, considers their love to be more of an intellectual concept, but Maurice becomes passionate about the affair. Clive, afraid of being exposed as a homosexual, backs off and breaks up with Maurice for marriage, family, and politics. Maurice is crestfallen, but then he has a passionate affair with Clive's gamekeeper, Scudder (Rupert Graves), and Maurice and Scudder decide to risk their reputations by openly living together as lovers. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

James Wilby - Maurice Hall
Hugh Grant - Clive Durham
Rupert Graves - Alec Scudder
Denholm Elliott - Dr. Barry
Simon Callow - Mr. Ducie

James Ivory and Ismail Merchant's Maurice, a tale of homosexual love set in a time and place when such a relationship was forbidden by law, gets a stately DVD release thanks to Home Vision. The film is presented in a widescreen transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.78:1. The English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital Stereo. English subtitles are accessible. The extensive supplemental materials include new interviews with the director, the producer, the screenwriter, and the cast, including Hugh Grant; deleted scenes; and an alternate opening with a commentary by Ivory. The original theatrical trailer rounds out this fine disc. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide