Customer Reviews

Howards End [1992] [DVD]

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Acting talent alone does not ensure a great film, but when you have a lineup like, "Howard's End", creating a bad film would be a chore. Anthony Hopkins, Emma Thompson, Vanessa Redgrave, Helena Bonham Carter, and Joseph Bennett are just the start of a phenomenal cast that brings this EM Forrester story to the screen. When you then have the duo of Merchant and Ivory together with all the talent they attract to create these period pieces, the result is always special. Some of their films are better than others, but all are very worthwhile.

This film explores the results of reasonably small human actions that are greatly magnified, either through indifference or emotions that take control of common sense and a reasoned response to a given plight. The events and the consequences are exacerbated as the players come from 3 very different strata of London Society. And in this tale the three not only meet, they mix, and the results are dramatic at the very least, and tragic at their worst. The differing groups even join when Emma Thompson marries in to the highest level leaving her sister in the middle, while she, Helena Bonham Carter, insists on crashing every convention when she champions the cause of a poor couple whose plight she blames on her new in-laws. The relationship between the sisters that begins the film as warm and humorous, becomes strained, damaged, and nearly severed before the film's end.

This is one of the richer Merchant and Ivory productions as it is not confined to a few picturesque homes, but is expanded to include vast cityscapes full of period transportation people and their costumes. This is not my favorite film they have done, but is certainly excellent when compared to films in general and very good for this remarkable team of filmmakers.

I first read the book and became hooked on E. M. Forster and I am now hooked on the cast of Howard's End. It is sure another success with the Merchant Ivory team and the casting director Celetia Fox, A good choice Celestia. Every actor was just how I imagined the characters to be, it was wonderful, I now look forward to seeing them in other things. But this is one Film I never want to Finish I wish it to go on and on.

This is one of the great film's of the last 20 years. It is perfectly cast - although Vanessa Redgrave's Ruth Wilcox seems an odd choice at first. But, oh, what she does with it! However, it's Emma Thompson's film. She IS Margaret Schlegel! I have watched this film about 10 times, and I seem to enjoy it more and more - like a marvellous wine.

Ismail Merchant and James Ivory will probably be best remembered for their gorgeous productions of E.M. Forster novels, of which 'Howard's End' is second to none. How can one fail, given their winning formula of lush period settings, perfect musical accompaniment, and flawless matching of character to actor? This particular Merchant/Ivory film was nominated for countless awards, including nine Academy Awards, among them Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress.

The story revolves around the Schlegel sisters, Margaret and Helen, and their involvement with various characters including a ruthless businessman and his dying wife, and a down-on-his-luck day clerk. Margaret is the sensible sister, caring but careful, while Helen is the idealist, out to save the world, without realising how condescending she can be in attempting to do so. Their brother is almost an afterthought in the story. Margaret is portrayed by Emma Thompson, veteran Shakespearean and British actress; Helen is played by Merchant-Ivory veteran Helena Bonham Carter. Other players include Oscar-winner Anthony Hopkins, James Wilby (also in other Merchant-Ivory productions), Samuel West, and the great Vanessa Redgrave. (Look for Prunella Scales, best known as Sybil Fawlty from 'Fawlty Towers' in what might be described as an extended cameo role.)

The characters show some of the principal social class divisions of late Victorian/Edwardian England. The Wilcoxes are a successful business family, unlettered and conservative; the Schlegels are genteel aristocrats with an idealistic bent but slowly declining economic fortunes; the Basts are underprivileged but yearning for more. One of the better lines comes from the aunt of the Schlegel sisters, as she explains their upbringing: 'Of course, they are British to the backbone, but their father is German, which is why they care for literature and art.' This is a world in which everyone expects to have a discernable and well defined role, but the world around these social classes is changing rapidly.

At first, Helen is engaged to the younger Wilcox son. In short order, this relationship breaks, but not before the Wilcoxes and the Schlegels are intertwined in continuing social encounters. Eventually, the elder Schlegel sister Margaret gets a marriage proposal from the patriarch Wilcox, after his wife dies of a long illness. Helen has, in the meanwhile, become pregnant from the underprivileged Leonard Bast, whose wife, we discover, had a brief fling with the elder Wilcox in the past. If this sounds like a soap opera, you might be on to something. However, no daytime drama was ever so lavishly and well appointed.

The title for 'Howard's End' comes from the country home of the Wilcoxes, in fact the property of Mrs. Wilcox, which she means for Margaret to have. She willed it to Margaret when they became friends, but Henry Wilcox suppressed the will after his wife's death. In the end, Howard's End comes to the Schlegels in a different way, as the world continues its unsteady path between Victorian/Edwardian sensibilities and the new world to come.

This is a flawless film in many ways - well acted, well designed, well directed. This is a visual treat indeed.

Among other themes, the story depicts a man's double standards - his inability to forgive when he has been forgiven much.

The story aside, I would like to add, if you are living abroad, like me, and/or you love the splendour of the British countryside in the spring (bluebell woods, chestnut and May blossom, lush, green meadows...)I believe this would be enough reason to buy this film. The scenery is quite breathtaking.

Without knowing anything about the storyline, I purchased this DVD simply because it was produced by Merchant Ivory (my faves). I was not disappointed. Beautiful English countryside, a fabulous cast and a terrific storyline. Could not be happier.

A great product at a great price with an excellent service make it a certainty that I will certainly buy here again

I bought this recently and watched it last night and although i purchased it purely on ratings and the fact that Anthony Hopkins was in it rather than reading reviews as to what it was about i found myself watching a truly amazing film.Hopkins is as ever pure gold but was even outshone on this occasion by the acting talents of Emma Thompson (won an Oscar for her role too!!) who i really hadn't seen much of before,for most of the film i felt that i was actually back in time and in the scene.Beautifully shot and acted,a very good film to add to anyone's collection.Howards End [1992] [DVD]

I echo your other rewiewer's plea. Please make this wonderful film available again on DVD soon! I depend on Amazon as I am building up my collection of all time favourite films.This is a classic. When I saw it on screen originally I was blown away by the direction, the acting and the location shots. It deserves to be still on sale and I have no other way of adding to my collection except online shopping at Amazon.It's up to you now!

Why, oh why, is this not available? Please make this available, either on its own, or as part of an EM Forster box set, with Room with a view, Passage to India, etc.. Classic British acting - should be available.