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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 1, 1987)
lust entertainment A love story for men Two views of the story of a quite ordinary young man s journey to happiness. Men in Love i wasn't until 1987 that a major motion picture dared to depict two men happily in love. t ’s pronounced “ Morris.” by the way. Maurice. James Ivory and Ismail Merchant's film o f E M. Forster's novel o f gay love in Edwardian England, w ill open at the Fifth Avenue Cinema later this month. Forster intended his novel to be the story o f a I quite ordinary young man. who happened to be gay. falling happily in love with another young man I f this weren’t in itself unique enough a premise fora mainstream film , then ponder also that the film ends happily, that it is beautifully shot at Cambridge and at fine country estates: that it. as in other Merchant/Ivory productions (Room with a View. The Hosloniuns), is filmed with an obsessive eye tor rich and exact detail; and that director James Ivory is originally from Klamath Falls(l). The film 's faithfulness to the novel is both its strength, and a slight problem Forster intended his novel to he a warts-and-al! look at a rather vain snobby, and incredibly classist young gay man. This translates brilliantly to film , and pro vides an insight into the social and sexual con tradictions that form the characters M aurice the film , however, does suffer from its faithful ness in that M aurice the Fniok is not a very good novel. The slowness and waywardness o f the narra tive does allow the claustrophobia o f the Edwar dian drawing room, and the mire o f its sexual hypocrisy, to manifest itself The love story at the end seems that much more satisfying for a viewer who has endured almost as much (and as long) as Maurice, himself Audiences may be surprised and confounded by the pleasure that the ending brings “ They should be rooting for these guys.” Ivory told the Sew York Times. "T h e y should be saying. ‘ I can understand that. I know what’ s in their hearts. I can feel for them’ .’ ’ Forster wrote M aurice in 1914; it was not published until after his death in 1971. And it — W .C. McRae It’s about time Seventy-three years ago. in 1914. Edward Morgan Forster completed a novel about a quite ordinary young man who finds happiness with a man he loves and who loves him The novel. M aurice, was published in 1971. after Forster's death. Forster wrote M aurice during the time w hen the fate o f Oscar Wilde was still fresh in memory (W ilde died, broken and bitter in 1900). Incidentally. Forster was 35 when he finished M aurice, not a callow youth. And now. in 1987. M aurice is a motion pic ture and it's sure to bring smiles o f recognition to a lot o f people. Both novel and film are mostly about class differences and snobbery. Forster believed that people o f different classes and races should connect with one another, and that within themselves individuals should be imaginative, mystical and sensitive to nature as well as practical. His works, therefore, are studies o f prejudice and injustice in English life. Kit Hesketh-Harvey and Janies Ivory's screenplay introdues Maurice Hall (James W ilby 1 as a.model product o f the rigid conven tions. education and snobbery o f his class and time. And like Forster himself, whom many suspect Maurice to be. Maurice finds an affirm ing relationship with a man outside his class. Alec Scudder <Rupert Graves) is the under gamekeeper at a country estate owned by Maurice’s first, but platonic lover. Clive Durham (Hugh Grant). It was Forster's original intent that Maurice and Alec should remain together for a very long time According to Ivory, Forster wrote an epilogue which takes place many years later when Maurice and Alec are still mates. M aurice is a good old-fashioned love story, with beautiful people and places beautifully photographed Romantics w ill love it. Cynics w ill love it. too. James Wilby as Maurice (left). Rupert Graves as Alec. — Jay Brow n just out O r e g o n ’s c o m p le te lesbian and gay conn e ction . WE MAKE IT EASIER! GRAND OPENING & ANNI\TRSARY SALE FERGUSON AUTOBODY & PAINT PRECISION COLLISION REPAIR UNIBODY SPECIALISTS FRAME STRAIGHTENING TOWING ARRANGED QUALITY WORK AT A FAIR PRICE 2454 E. Bunwkfe C harter M em her Autobody C raftsm an A ssociation 232-3600 Family Owned A Operated Since 1952 Just Oui • 20 • October. 1987 OCTOBER 19-2S BBE I MEMBER OCR SECOND LOCATION IS NOV OPEN AT 30.« SF. HAWTHORN K COME HELP I S CELEBRATE AND SAVE SAVF.ON YOIR b C ô ïïlA L L O T I O N S & O I I S )6 )8 S£ HAWTHORNE 2W>-797h 727 NW 2IST AVE. 248-974« Í)PEN MON-SAT 10 SUN 12Ó FAVORITESCENTS ITS 01R EIGHTH ANNIVERSARY SALE AT 01! R NW LOCATION.
