CriticSociety- film reviews

Review

Howards End

Director

James Ivory

Year

1992

Rating

Reviewed by

Gon Curiel a.k.a. Groucho

Review date

Thursday, November 01, 2007

Some might disagree, and I have no scientific argument to sustain it, but there is no doubt in me that Howards End is the definitive Merchant Ivory film. The collaborations of producer Ismail Merchant and director James Ivory are synonyms of sumptuous filmmaking with exemplary attention to detail and perfectionism in every single way. The third member of the team, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, who has scripted most of the Merchant Ivory work, is outstanding in transporting a novel to the screen without betraying any intention from the original writer. Truthful to screen language and limitations but without surrendering to them, Jhabvala’s script twists the story around surpassing the screen without being tiresome. The result is absolutely brilliant in translating E.M. Forster’s tale of clashing societies without losing focus on any of the numerous subplots or characters. Merchant and Ivory do the rest, creating a magical world that Forster’s readers created in countless ways in their minds for almost a century.

The story is rather immortal: in 1910 England, the impulsive engagement of the younger Schlegel sister, Helen (Helena Bonham Carter), to young Paul Wilcox (Joseph Bennett) leads to disaster when it turns out to have been a foolery that offends both families. Fate later decides that the power-hungry Wilcoxes and the intellectual Schlegels become neighbors in London, which leads to Mrs. Wilcox (Vanessa Redgrave) and the older Schlegel sister, Meg (Emma Thompson), to become friends. Mr. Wilcox (Anthony Hopkins) seems to be incapable of human emotions, but Meg discovers in Mrs. Wilcox a set of hidden sensibilities and their relationship flourishes into the older lady’s most important friendship probably in her whole life. She makes a decision that scandalizes the Wilcoxes. This decision involves her countryside house called Howards End.

In the meantime, Helen, still impulsive and rather fiery, befriends a young and poor clerk, Leonard Bast (Samuel West), who’s been rejected by his family due to his stubbornness in eloping with Jacky (Nicola Duffett), a woman they did not desire for him. In the same way that Meg helped Mrs. Wilcox unravel in such a positive way, Helen discovers that Mr. Bast is sensitive and brilliant, and makes him her personal cause. After an advice of Mr. Wilcox for Mr. Bast’s career leads to the younger man’s ruin, Helen’s fury becomes disaster for the three families.

The story is outstanding per se but the way it’s told is staggering and beautiful. Furthermore, the casting work is perfection as everyone disappears in their roles, the standouts easily being Thompson and Redgrave, followed closely by Hopkins, Bonham Carter and West. I also quite enjoy smaller performances by James Wilby as Charles Wilcox, Prunella Scales as Aunt Juley and Jemma Redgrave as Evie Wilcox.

Other standouts: Tony Pierce-Roberts’ cinematography and Richard Robbins’ music score. Both are some of the most gorgeous put on screen. The flawless editing by Andrew Marcus dances with music and photography in amazing ways, creating the perfect moment out of every scene. This is a perfectly executed film, and one of exquisite taste too. It’s also one of my favorites, and a must-see.

“The poor are the poor, and one’s sorry for them - but there it is.”

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