It’s easy to believe that Queer Cinema started in the 90s, especially if you aren’t specifically looking for it. But the reality is that there have been pockets of films in different eras that shows Queer love and life.
And if I’m being honest, I had no idea Maurice existed until a year or two ago. Not only is it a film from when before Hugh Grant was famous in the 90s, but it’s also a film that really doesn’t get any mention during films to see during Pride Month.
The story of Maurice (James Wilby) who goes to college in Cambridge and falls in love with a young man named Clive (Hugh Grant) is surprisingly much less about romance and passion.
No, Maurice is much more about living under a repressive time where being yourself and giving into your passions could get you humiliated and destitute.
Maurice takes place in England during the 1910s which isn’t a great time to be a homosexual male at that time. The reason is that practicing homosexuality was illegal on the island.
The theme of the title characters trying to repress their urges is actually what the film is about.
The first act of the film is the men meeting and falling in love in Cambridge. It’s honestly the best part of the film: both are charming leads and are believable in the roles they are portraying. It also has some nice locations that the scenes are set in.
The film makes it clear that both men do love each other and have great affection for each other. But the drama between Clive and Maurice is not whether they will be together or not, it’s whether they can hide what they are and continue to live in a society that hates them.
Yet, you would think that the film is pretty tense and unbearable at times. In all honesty, it’s not really at all. It’s just a costume drama with the feel you’ve come to expect from these types of films.
It’s not terribly dramatic. In fact, unless you like costume dramas, it’s kind of dull.
Honestly, there isn’t a scene that makes me think that neither Clive or Maurice will have any real problems hiding this secret.
So, what exactly happens?
Basically, it’s Maurice trying to find solace in moving on. This even includes going to a hypnotist to turn him straight, which was an interesting element to add in the movie.
This section is rather slow and it relies on the person being interested in how that society works and why Clive would rather keep his appearances as being married than have a life with Maurice.
The third act is essentially Maurice finding a new man to love in a gamekeeper named Alec (Rupert Graves). And if I’m being honest, this romance doesn’t feel believable or as enjoyable as with Clive.
This is more than likely the point, but Graves’ Alec isn’t really a character that is believable enough for Maurice to fall for in the film. And if it’s due to Maurice’s desperation to find someone, the film doesn’t exactly show it.
Maurice isn’t a bad film, but it’s definitely something that has a limited amount of people who will find enjoyment in it.
Mainly, if you are used to how costume dramas work and how the plots develop in those films, you may be comfortable in watching Maurice.
If not, you’ll find it kind of boring and frustrating that the romance isn’t really the principal element of the film.
The Wiz RECOMMENDS Maurice
I Am The Wiz 
Leave a comment