James Ivory's 'Maurice' (1987)

In this episode, I talk about James Ivory's 1987 film, "Maurice." It's based on the novel of the same name by E.M. Forster. It's set in 1910 and tells the story of Maurice Hall, a young man who attends Cambridge University and falls in love with Clive Durham. The film follows them over several years, tracing the turmoil of their relationship. Clive eventually marries, and Maurice finds love with Alec Scudder, a man who works on Clive's estate. Made and released in the 1980s, at the height of the AIDS epidemic, "Maurice" is a film that celebrates and affirms queer love. It features brilliant performances by James Wilby, Hugh Grant, and Rupert Graves, who all were deeply committed to their roles. For this episode, I talk about E.M. Forster, Merchant Ivory Productions, the filming of "Maurice," and I explain why this dreamy and romantic film continues to enchant me.

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Original artwork by Dhiyanah Hassan

Full Show Notes:

Her Head in Films Episodes mentioned:

• Desert Hearts


• Wanda


• Call Me By Your Name


• Blue is the Warmest Color

Writers, other films, etc mentioned:

• [Sylvia Plath] 12


• [Information about Humanism] 13


• Regeneration film


• Richard Robbins's soundtrack for "Maurice"


• Angels in America


• The Normal Heart


• Pose


• All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque


• Nanette


• The Miseducation of Cameron Post

Sources cited:

• Kate Symondson for the British Library


• Eric Banks, "Why Novelize a Novelist" for The New Yorker


• Fariha Róisín, "The Three-Headed Magic of Merchant Ivory" for Hazlitt


• Merchant Ivory Productions Wikipedia Page


• E.M. Forster Wikipedia Page


• Guy Lodge "Maurice at 30: the gay period drama the world wasn't ready for" on The Guardian


• Gary Goldstein, "James Ivory and James Wilby look back at the making of 'Maurice,' a time when gay happy endings were rare"


• Darren Scott for The Independent