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Here's a sparse chronology of feature film adaptations. Later on, I intend to add more in-depth reactions/reviews of the movies, and any important or relevant notes for each title. The info below is either from from memory, IMDb.com, or home videos that I have (by the way, I've found that some info in the IMDB is incorrect, so don't think it's definitive).

The emphasized names signify people who have contributed to more than one Forster-related film adaptation. If you look carefully, you'll also notice "regulars" (not all, but some) of Merchant-Ivory productions as well.

Ismail Merchant, 1936-2005
Requiescat in pace

1984

"A Passage to India"
'A Passage to India' DVD (Region 1)

  • Directed, adapted and edited by David Lean
  • Produced by John Brabourne and Richard Goodwin
  • Actors included Judy Davis (Adela Quested), Victor Banerjee (Dr. Aziz), Peggy Ashcroft (Mrs. Moore), James Fox (Cyril Fielding), Alec Guinness (Godpole) and Nigel Havers (Ronny)
  • 11 Academy Award nominations; 2 wins: Ashcroft for supporting actress and Maurice Jarre for original score)

'A Passage to India' DVD (Region 2)      I like this film as a film -- as an adaptation it doesn't win me over completely, though -- the casting of Alec Guinness is unusual, not to mention questionable, and the last (crucial) section of the novel isn't really done justice. Overall however, I won't hesitate to say that it's a very well constructed and performed film. Come on -- it's a David Lean film. Think high production standards, and high acting standards. It's not going to be a stinker. :-)
     [Order 'A Passage to India' on DVD:
         - Region 1 encoding (NTSC) from
Amazon.com
         - Region 2 (Europe/Middle East/South Africa/Japan only) format from
Amazon.co.uk
]
      [Order 'A Passage to India' on VHS cassette (NTSC format) from Amazon.com]

1986

"A Room with a View"'A Room with a View' special-edition DVD (Region 1)

  • Directed by James Ivory
  • Adapted by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
  • Produced by Ismail Merchant
  • Actors included Helena Bonham Carter (Lucy), Julian Sands (George), Daniel Day-Lewis (Cecil), Maggie Smith (Charlotte), Denholm Elliott (Mr. Emerson), Simon Callow (Mr. Beebe), Rupert Graves (Freddy)
  • 8 Academy Award nominations; 3 wins: Jhabvala for screenplay, Jenny Beavan & John Bright for costume design, Luciana Arrighi for art direction-set design

      Great performances, beautiful music, and a very well-adapted sceenplay. The Merchant-Ivory-Jhabvala team really scored with its first Forster project. Although -- as in any film -- Forsterites will miss Morgan's own narrative, the movie manages to retain the rare and upbeat spirit of this novel.
      [Order the two-disc special-edition 'A Room with a View' (2004) on DVD:
         - Region 1 encoding (NTSC) from
Amazon.com
      [The special edition hasn't been released in the UK yet, but the DVD without bonus features (2001) is available in Region 2 (Europe/Middle East/South Africa/Japan only) format from
Amazon.co.uk
]

      [Order the VHS video:
         - NTSC format tape from
Amazon.com or
         -
PAL format from Amazon.co.uk]

1987

"Maurice"'Maurice' DVD (The Merchant Ivory Collection).  Finally, James Wilby is pictured...but not facing out?

  • Directed by James Ivory
  • Adapted by Kit Hesketh-Harvey and James Ivory
  • Produced by Ismail Merchant
  • Actors included James Wilby (Maurice), Hugh Grant (Clive), Rupert Graves (Alec Scudder), Simon Callow (Mr. Ducie), Denholm Elliott (Dr. Barry)
  • 1 Academy Award nomination (Jenny Beavan & John Bright, costume design)

      Unlike the other titles listed here, I have only seen "Maurice" once -- at least six years ago. Since it's been so long, I'll postpone writing any comments for it until I get a chance to watch it again. (I do remember that Helena Bonham Carter made a cameo appearance.)
      [Order the special edition 'Maurice' (2004) on DVD!
         - Region 1 encoding (US/Canada only) from
Amazon.com
         - Region 2 (Europe/Middle East/South Africa/Japan only) from
Amazon.co.uk]

      [Order the VHS video:
         - NTSC format tape from
Amazon.com or
         -
PAL format from Amazon.co.uk]

1991

"Where Angels Fear to Tread"'Where Angels Fear to Tread' DVD (Region 2

  • Directed by Charles Sturridge
  • Adapted by Tim Sullivan, Derek Granger and Charles Sturridge
  • Produced by Derek Granger
  • Actors included Helena Bonham Carter (Miss Abbott), Rupert Graves (Mr. Herriton), Judy Davis (Harriet Herriton), Giovanni Guidelli (Gino) and Helen Mirren (Lilia Herriton)

      I was rather disappointed in the adaptation-aspect of this movie -- the film felt overdramatic and soap operatic at times, and failed to develop a key concept involving Miss Abbott and Mr. Herriton. The actors were fine, except they really could have done so much more had the screenplay given them more. The movie does have notable merits, but on the whole, I found it lacked continuity and ended up being confusing.
      [Pre-order 'Where Angels Fear to Tread' (2005) on DVD!
         - Region 1 encoding isn't listed on Amazon.com yet...

         - Region 2 (Europe/Middle East/South Africa/Japan only) from
Amazon.co.uk]

      [Order 'Where Angels Fear to Tread' on VHS cassette (NTSC format) from Amazon.com]

1992

"Howards End"'Howards End' DVD (Merchant Ivory Collection)

  • Directed by James Ivory
  • Adapted by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
  • Produced by Ismail Merchant
  • Actors included Emma Thompson (Margaret Schlegel), Helena Bonham Carter (Helen Schlegel), Anthony Hopkins (Henry Wilcox), Vanessa Redgrave (Ruth Wilcox), Samuel West (Leonard Bast) and James Wilby (Charles Wilcox)
  • 9 Academy Award nominations; 3 wins: Jhabvala for screenplay, Thompson for actress, Luciana Arrighi for art direction-set decoration

      By far my favorite Forster adaptation. "Howards End" is also my all-time favorite movie. Although it's not and can't be the same as the novel, the Merchant-Ivory-Jhabvala team -- I think mainly Jhabvala's written foundation -- really brought out a rich and focused drama that really complements the novel. There's no way to make a "true" or word-for-word adaptation, so what the team decided to include and exclude obviously influenced the end product.

      Having a good screenplay from the start really made a difference, and I don't think anyone else could have done a better job than the people who were involved with the production. Although I loved Emma Thompson as Margaret, I'm convinced that James Wilby's portrayal of Charles is underrated -- he's a talented character actor, and it's the best work I've ever seen him do. Only a few people won Oscars, but if there had been a "best ensemble" award, the cast would have earned it. Then again, if this film had been released a few years later, it would have cleaned up house. :-) (Curious about my love for the novel? I talk about that on the "About this site & its maintainer" page.)
      [Order the special edition of 'Howards End' (2005) on DVD!
         - Region 1 encoding (US/Canada only) from
Amazon.com or
         - Region 2 (Europe/Middle East/South Africa/Japan only) from
Amazon.co.uk]

      [Order the VHS video:
         - NTSC format from
Amazon.com or
         -
PAL format from Amazon.co.uk (what a bargain!)]

Books about Merchant Ivory Productions

If you're a big fan (like me) of MIP, or at least some of the company's films, I highly recommend these excellent books:

  • Long, Robert Emmet - The Films of Merchant Ivory
    'The Films of Merchant Ivory' (revised), Robert Emmet Long (Abrams 1997)Harry N. Abrams, 1997 (revised edition, hardcover)
    Citadel Press, 1996 (older paperback edition)
       Forsterites should really look for the revised hardcover book, rather than the original version. The newer book's updates include coverage of "Howards End" (can't miss that!), "The Remains of the Day," "Jefferson in Paris," "Surviving Picasso" and "The Proprietor." Aside from the great photographs, it includes more recent stories from the production company founders. So try, try to get it.
       [Order the hardcover edition from Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk]
     
  • Long, Robert Emmet - James Ivory in Conversation: How Merchant Ivory Makes Its Movies
    'James Ivory in Conversation: How Merchant Ivory Makes Its Movies,' Robert Emmet Long (University of California Press, 2005)University of California Press, 2005
       Admittedly, I have not had a chance to read through this new book, but from what I've heard and read peripherally, this is another great source of material for anyone interested in Merchant Ivory's films, as it features James Ivory's take on many subjects (his own life included).
       [Order the hardcover edition from Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk]


  • Pym, John - Merchant Ivory's English Landscape: Rooms, Views and Anglo-Saxon Attitudes
    'Merchant Ivory's English Landscape,' John Pym (Abrams 1995)Harry N. Abrams, 1995
       Another great 'more-than-just-a-coffee-table' book. It's much slimmer than the above book, but I think the photos alone are worth the price, since the English focus means more attention to some of the Forster adaptations. If you're a fan of "The Remains of the Day" (like me), then you'll also appreciate the material covering that film in here. The book is fairly hard to find right now (online anyway), but you might have a better chance of finding a copy sitting in a good bookstore.
       [Order the hardcover edition from Amazon.com]

Buying a video?

Videos are all encoded in a certain format. You need to buy the format that's compatible with your VCR/DVD player's standard. Basically, there are three television standards: NTSC, PAL and SECAM. If you're a DVD buyer, you should know that discs have a 'regional encoding.' Here's a quick reference for the purposes of understanding what you can buy here...

If you live in the US or Canada: make sure to buy NTSC format. If you buy DVDs, make sure that they cover 'Region 1.'

If you live in the UK: make sure to get PAL format. If you buy DVDs, makes sure that they cover 'Region 2.'

Most countries in Europe use the PAL format, but not all (some use the SECAM standard). If you are not certain what format will work for you, then try checking the list at the World Television Standards site.

Region 2 DVD encoding covers the UK, Europe, Japan and South Africa. There are six 'regions' in all, but right now my affiliate Amazon stores only offer Regions 1 and 2 (and some NTSC 'all regions').


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Created 3 September 1999. Last modified 25 May 2005, 16:57 PDT.
'Only Connect': The Unofficial E. M. Forster Site <http://www.musicandmeaning.com/forster/film.html>