Maurice is definitely a milestone in gay literature. The film is also definitely an outstanding representative of gay films. But what about these two? Aren't all movies incapable of surpassing the original. The original Maurice can't really be interpreted in a movie of more than 100 minutes. Because it expresses something more than what we see in the movies. It may be more of an expression of that era, and it tends to portray every aspect of the character's heart more realistically.
Maurice and Clive, Maurice and Scudder. Which feeling is sincere? Maybe if you respect the original work, no emotion is pure and loyal. Clive hated his past self, so he also felt disgusted with the self who fell in love with M. Scudder, the loyal, enthusiastic, and devoted servant of M portrayed in the movie. After meeting M in London, he said I never thought about asking you for a penny. Just to meet you. In the original book, S did want to knock M when he came to London, because he was about to leave London, maybe the money could make up for his sadness. I just gave up this idea after seeing M. Maybe I'm more willing to believe that S never thought about it, he and M were always together just because of liking and not because of M's identity.
What the movie wants to show us is emotion, what the book wants us to know is human nature.
Which one is more real?
Books are reality, movies are art. Maurice in the film is blond and full of talent. He is sometimes reckless, but more often he is cautious and clever. The two relationships made M a boy who was full of passion for love into a man who could be responsible for love.
The book describes the happy and joyful life of Clive and Maurice in Cambridge. They pursued Plato's spiritual love as a form of glory. But these are just showing the cowardice of the two people. C is not ascetic, otherwise he wouldn't have other plans for Maurice's sister. He is afraid of M, and even more afraid that he likes men. He is a tragic character in love, leading M to tragedy together. It's still the same impressive plot, C came back from Greece to be a guest at M's house and ate with the family in the restaurant. In the movie, it is only shown that C suddenly faints, and Morris gives him a kiss to comfort him, after which he suddenly wakes up and says he is fine. Clive in this section of the book is ugly. He was disgusted by the feelings he had had in the past, by that kiss from Morris. So when he heard the noise of the Morris family, the voice of Morris telling a joke that wasn't too funny, he suddenly felt sick. The ridiculous C suddenly likes women. In order to escape from his past, he always thinks that "incorrect" relationship is disgusting.
But the movie gave us another sense of Clive. When he remembered everything about Cambridge and Morris, and when he saw his former love waving goodbye to him outside the window, his face was obviously reluctant. So in the movie he has a touch of humanity. He has been protecting Morris, and he wants to bring Morris on the road to "normal". However, he didn't know that he couldn't change Morris' nature. There is a sentence in the original book, "Morris is a soul freed from prison. If the person who rescued him asks him to keep his body like a jade, he will obey." This soul has been released, how can it return to the cage?
As for Scudder, the gamekeeper, his feelings for Morris were unrepentant. EM Forster is obviously more partial to S, and he himself yearns for a love like Kuster. Forster said in the book that he wrote this book as a gift to his friend and his partner. The feeling that made him unattainable. His friend was a writer, with a talent like Morris's. His boyfriend is more like S. A young, beautiful and energetic man of low status. And EM said that this book is his own novel. Maybe these three people are all the author himself, one cowardly, one brave, one persistent, who is looking for himself and keeps getting lost.
The ending of EM was not very happy. It seemed that he had a boyfriend in India, but they parted ways in the end. Maybe we won't have the luck of Morris in our lifetime to meet a Scudder who is willing to give up his future for him and risk his life. If their love is unequal, a squire and a servant, who will sacrifice more for whom? I like S, he didn't ask for anything from Morris, not even a promise. He waited for Morris in the boat for three days, and he had no idea whether Morris would come or not. It was because of his persistence that Morris wanted him to stay.
The author gave us a good ending, and like Foster said, if it's a tragedy, there's no point in writing the book. Knowing the humble, love is noble. We have reasons not to believe in love, but we have no reason not to believe that they can sacrifice their lives for each other.
And it's hard to imagine that this is a 1987 film. Maybe the movie is not as good as the original, but I prefer to believe in the movie, why should people live so realistically?
——I once did a film review at oacfan.
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