Howards End (1992)

My buddy Luke saw Howards End and wasn't a fan. Since it was his first Merchant Ivory, I decided I'd make it mine too. When I told him I loved it, he called me crazy and demanded that I explain myself.

The film starts out a bit slow. There's some kind of debacle involving Helen and one of the upper-crust Wilcox boys that kind of disgraces her or something, I don't know. It gets a bit more interesting when she meets Leonard Bast. We get to observe the class structure at work, and there is an awful lot of life in these early scenes with Helen and Margaret. Things don't really get great, though, until Vanessa Redgrave's Ruth comes into the picture. The scene where she and Margaret talk is beautiful and full of poignancy. It's here that we first get to see a slice of great acting, both Redgrave and Emma Thompson are sublime here. This is the first time we've seen somebody seem to actually show emotion, as Ruth discusses how much Howards End means to her. She's such a great character, and we feel genuinely sad when she's gone. I love the dinner scene, where everybody at the table is babbling their inane chatter, but when Ruth begins to speak, everybody quiets down and listens. Not just because she's the elderly matriarch and it's what they're supposed to do, but because she's so open and warm, full of wisdom.

As the plot opens up, we begin to notice more of the great acting. Helena Bonham Carter really brings up the film. Essentially, she's the emotional center. She, Leonard, Ruth and, for a while, Margaret are our conduits as an audience. They are the dreamers, the ones who aspire to be and to feel more than society dictates, the tragedy is that, for some of them, their dreams stay dreams. I think that's where the heart of the film is, and where the meaning of Howards End itself lies. Here was this old woman who was such a caring person, and this house signified everything that she wanted and cared about and held dear. She meets another person like her in Margaret, and leaves her the house, hoping that it will mean as much to her. But, when her family gets wind of this, they decide she must have been mad, or it's some kind of swindle. Surely, one of their own family couldn't give in to their own emotions and put friendship and love above money and status. Margaret does eventually end up with Howards End, in a way, through her marriage to Henry, but it's used as nothing more than furniture storage. We're given a few short glimpses of what could have been when Margaret visits Howards End, like when Helen remarks that the carpet and sword fit perfectly, but Margaret has been changed by her new situation, as evidenced by her distancing away from Helen and the ideas she once held dear.

While there is no villain of course, Anthony Hopkins' Henry comes awfully close. He gives a very brutal performance, yet never lays a hand on anybody. It's rare that a character is created that you can really despise and find truly despicable. It's great how you can see Anthony Hopkins screwing everybody else over and just being so quiet and oblivious about it.

Of course, the ending is a happy one, about as happy as you could find in early-20th century Britan. Margaret has come to terms with the person she's become and realizes that the things she now has aren't the things that matter most to her. The bond between her and her sister is the strongest thing in the film, and although it wavers, it's strong again at the end of the film. Margaret will stay with Helen at Howards End to raise her child. As the camera pans up to reveal the lush greenery, we see Helen and child playing in the field and we feel a great sense of hope. The baby was created by the two dreamers, and now being raised by the two who seek more out of life. Now, at Howards End, maybe they can raise the child to be just as they are.