Howards End (1992)

Howards End (1992), directed by James Ivory

The collision of two wealthy families: one artistic and intellectual, the other hard and self-interested. Ground up between them: a poor bank clerk who dared to look up and seek something better.

This may be the richest and most period-authentic of the Merchant Ivory (/Jhabvala) adaptations of E.M. Forster's novels. Which I get confused: this one, A Room with a View (1985) and Maurice (1987), with Where Angels Fear to Tread (1991) and David Lean's A Passage to India (1984) from other production companies.

Stellar cast: Anthony Hopkins, Vanessa Redgrave, Helena Bonham Carter, Emma Thompson.

The Criterion Blu-ray is out of print and it was one of those with manufacturing problems at the plant. I was able to get it from Netflix and found the disc to be delaminating at the edges, very fragile. After some struggle I was able to play it and get the screen shots.

Cohen Media has since provided a two-disc Blu-ray set, which I have not seen.