Photo © Sony Picture Classics
Anthony Hopkins in Howards End (1992)
Anthony Hopkins in Howards End (1992)
Howards End
(Cohen Film Collection 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray)
The new release of Howards End is the latest installment from the Cohen Collection-British Film Institute’s restoration program for the work of a singular team of filmmakers—James Ivory, Ismail Merchant and Ruth Jhbvala. Each had a designated role as director, producer and screenwriter, but their ideas sparked together in a unique collaboration that began in India and spanned the globe.
Howards End (1992) stands as their signature film. The adaptation of E.M. Forster’s gently subversive novel included memorable performances by Anthony Hopkins, Vanessa Redgrave and Helena Bonham Carter in a story of class mores in Edwardian England, dramatized with a sure hand and a touching lightness.
Along with the 4K and Blu-ray discs, the set includes a third disc of previously unseen or hard-to-find material. Among the bonuses is the conversation where Ivory and MOMA’s Laurence Kardish and Ivory explore the working methods that made Forster’s language visually concise.
Merchant Ivory productions were known for the precision of their historical accuracy. Despite modest budgets (by Hollywood standards), every pair of shoes, every end table and flowerpot, looked authentic to its time and place. In the mini-documentary “The Design of Howards End,” art director Luciana Arrighi discusses the enormous research involved and displays hand-drawn storyboards from the film. Her aim was not simply to furnish the settings accurately but to set the emotional atmosphere through use of color.
The new release of Howards End exemplifies why sets of this breadth remain invaluable for film buffs. Netflix will likely never bother to collect all of the illuminating bonus material into a coherent package. (David Luhrssen)
