MERCHANT IVORY: THE DOCUMENTARY : The Story Behind the Movies

MERCHANT IVORY: THE DOCUMENTARY (Blu-ray)

2023 / 111 min

FROM COHEN MEDIA GROUP

Review by Princess Pepper😺

The filmmaking team of James Ivory and Ismail Merchant need no introduction to certain moviegoers. The company they founded - Merchant Ivory Productions - have been longtime purveyors of what’s often referred to as “arthouse” cinema, including a slew of period pieces. A few of them, such as Howard’s End and Remains of the Day, transcended such a label to become big hits.

Though I’ve seen some of their films and acknowledge they are immaculately written, directed and performed - to say nothing of beautiful to look at - this kind of stuff ain’t really in my wheelhouse. On the other hand, some of the best music bios I’ve ever seen were about artists I knew nothing about and whose music I’d never throw on my turntable. As such, I found Merchant Ivory: The Documentary very interesting.

This isn’t so much the story of their films as the filmmakers themselves, and in that sense, it’s kind of revelatory. Despite Merchant Ivory’s prestigious reputation, the studio operated on surprisingly small budgets, often procuring funding for a particular film on-the-fly, with the cast and crew not always certain when they’d get paid. James Ivory generally handled the creative end of things, while the more exuberant Ismail Merchant kept the productions moving forward…sometimes through sheer tenacity. 

James Ivory in time-out.

We also learn much about the duo personally, mostly through recollections of Ivory (Merchant passed away in 2005). Not just a business relationship, they more-or-less remained life partners since founding the company in the early 1960s, which Ivory is enjoyably candid about (I wasn’t even aware they were a couple). But they aren’t the whole story. Significant segments also focus on screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, who wrote a majority of their films, and composer Richard Robbins, who scored them.

Several of the company’s most noteworthy and acclaimed films are discussed, as well as 1987’s Maurice, a gay-themed romance that was pretty bold for its time. There are also plenty of interviews with actors who worked with Merchant and Ivory (often more than once), including Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, Helena Bonham Carter, Vanessa Redgrave (cantankerous as ever) and Rupert Graves, just to name a few. Most offer interesting - generally affectionate - views on their experiences.

Merchant Ivory: The Documentary didn’t compel this writer to revisit films I was ‘meh’ on in the first place, or seek out any of their other work. However, the guys behind them have an interesting story and I have a newfound appreciation for what they were able to accomplish…mostly on their own terms.

EXTRA KIBBLES

INTERVIEWS - Additional interviews with Emma Thompson, Helena Bonham Carter, Hugh Grant, Vanessa Redgrave and Hiroyuki Sanada.

SHORT FILM - Rich Atmosphere: The Music of Merchant Ivory Films

JAMES IVORY & STEPHEN SOUCY INTRODUCTION - From the NY Indian Film Festival.

JAMES IVORY & STEPHEN SOUCY CONVERSATION - From the NYSWI Film Festival.

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