Revisiting HOWARDS END in 4K

HOWARDS END (4K UHD)

1992 / 142 min

Cohen Media Group

Reluctantly reviewed by D.M. Anderson😸

I saw Howards End back in the day. To be honest, this kind of stuff ain’t exactly in my wheelhouse, but it was up for a slew of Oscars and I always enjoy catching as many of the nominees as possible. The film was more entertaining than I expected - quite a bit more, actually - and if it weren’t for the Academy turning that year’s Oscar night into a belated Clint Eastwood love-fest, I suspect this would’ve nabbed more statues than it actually did.

Still, I’ve never felt compelled to revisit Howards End again, or any other Merchant Ivory movie, for that matter. When it comes to period dramas, once is generally enough, even for the good ones. Perhaps I’d change my tune if an occasional car chase or dinosaur attack were thrown in. 

So when the 4K UHD remaster of Howards End arrived, I hailed the rest of the Free Kittens staff: “Here, kitties! Howards End is here! Who’s up for a classic Edwardian drama about contrasting class cultures? Kitty-kitty-kitty!” Grabbing their treat bag, I shook it loudly. “I’ll throw in some snacks. Pepper! Bonnie! Stinky, I know you’re a big Anthony Hopkins fan, and I promise you’ll like it better than Solace!” 

Crickets. *sigh*

Looks like I’m revisiting Howards End, after all. That’s okay…it could be a lot worse (like rewatching Solace). And again, it isn’t that I don’t like Howards End. So I’ll get to it right after this Donnie Yen action flick I need to review…and maybe also that Australian shark movie that arrived yesterday. After all, it’s Friday, so I have all night.

When the Wifi goes down.

The next day:

You know what? I’d forgotten most of this movie in the 30+ years since I last watched it. More specifically, I’d forgotten how aesthetically gorgeous it is, so if nothing else, Long-time Merchant Ivory cohort Tony Pierce-Roberts’ cinematography really shines with this 4K disc, which is apparently remastered in its original aspect ratio (2.39:1) for the first time. For purists, that’s probably a big plus. This one also features two audio options DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0. Both sound really good, though the former is superior, especially with regard to Richard Robbins’ lush score.

Elsewhere, the performances carry the movie. Even someone whose tastes don’t lean toward period drama has to concur that Emma Thompson deserved her Oscar for Best Actress. As Margaret Schlegel, she’s totally engaging. And like Stinky, I’m also a big Anthony Hopkins fan, and rewatching him here reminded me of how effectively he embodies his characters, whether he’s playing psychos, gentlemen or conservative jerks like Henry Wilcox (and he still instills Henry with a complexity that’s occasionally relatable). I won’t go so far as to say he was robbed of an Oscar (not even being nominated), but this another example of Hopkins’ ability to elevate any movie (well, maybe not Solace). Looks like Stinky missed out on another great performance.

One might think I’m the wrong guy to review a movie like this. Then again, I did enjoy revisiting it more than I thought I would, at least enough that it no longer felt like an obligation (slowly but surely, the story drew me in once again). So maybe that’s a testament to how well Howards End transcends its genre, kind like how my horror-hating wife got sucked into Train to Busan. But fans of the film should keep in-mind that this new 4K release is just a technical upgrade. There are no new bonus features. 

EXTRA KIBBLES (most of this is from the 2016 Cohen Media Blu-ray release)

4K & BLU-RAY COPIES

FEATURETTES - Returning to Howards End is a 20 minute conversation between director James Ivory and film curator Laurence Kardish; Interview with James Ivory and Vanessa Redgrave; Q&A with James Ivory takes place following a 2016 screening; Behind-the-Scenes is a featurette from 1992; James Ivory Remembers Ismail Merchant has the director recalling his longtime professional and personal partner; Building Howards End is the longest, and in many ways, the best of the bonus features; The Design of Howards End is about the costuming and production design.

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By critics Wade Major and Lael Lowenstein.

ORIGINAL AND RE-RELEASE TRAILER

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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