Maurice (1987) -
I have tried to enjoy this film, but even Rupert Graves lovely bottom and massive schlong didn't seem to win it enough points for me. I'm not saying that it's a bad film and I'm sure that I will watch it again sometime in the very distant future, but the story itself was just not that interesting for me personally.
I suppose that in some ways I am very fortunate that I do not come from a time where homosexuality was considered such an aberration.
Growing up, I had always known that life would be slightly tough for me, but my sexuality has never been classed as illegal within my lifetime. What I mean is that I might not have been able to fully appreciate the pressure that the two leads in this film were under. Not just the need to conceal their sexual preference, but also a demand on them to continue the family name and show a certain face to the world.
However, I didn't think that the story was that exciting either. Hardly any of their moments together seemed to be that risky and the danger was only on the periphery, happening to supporting characters. I didn't get the feeling that the drama that they were enduring was that dangerous, based on their performances or perhaps it was the direction and or editing?
There is supposed to be a larger psychological element to the book that was filmed, but cut. I'd love to see a modern take on the story with more of a focus on those issues to show what the characters were truly feeling in order to bring the drama it deserves and do justice to the work and the characters.
It also had a very old fashioned feel to its direction too, it seemed a bit out of date in the way that it was filmed, as if it had been made 4 or 5 decades earlier.
The whole thing moved quite quickly, but yet it still seemed slow. I suppose that things were less of a rush in the early part of the last century, but it really was a bit of a dawdle.
The Edwardian era really does feel alien over 100 years later and, as such, some of the script and I assume therefore the source novel is very twee and a bit too innocent for todays tastes.
A troubled relationship from the get go. Hugh's character Clive was not particularly attractive actually, because he was so volatile and treated Maurice's attention as a hobby that he had grown tired of.
And Maurice himself was so vulnerable and wet, but I was definitely on his side and I wanted him to find a true love, but knew from the start that it wouldn't be that simple.
Despite the graphic nudity, there is no graphic sex, so it didn't feel homoerotic, so much as clumsy and awkward and not just because of the time period, but the way that it was filmed too. It felt like straight actors kissing and not very sensually. Perhaps worried what their Mums would think.
Hugh and James played their parts well enough and Rupert was ok, but his contrasting and exaggerated accent really did jar against the rest.
Overall I think that the basis for the story had merit, but the delivery was somewhat lacking. However I can see that it was probably an important film in the struggle against homophobia and censorship in cinema at its time of release.
601.99/1000.
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