Differences between the film and novel

I found watching the movie Maurice to be somewhat difficult because I knew everything that was going to happen throughout the entire film since I had already finished reading the book. Many lines were word for word so I knew exactly what was going to be said before the actors spoke. Although there are abundant similarities between the book and the film, there were a few differences I found as well.

One of the main differences that I found was that Risley was imprisoned for immorality in the film and he was not imprisoned in the book. I felt like this played a major role in the film because it seemed that from the moment Clive read the headlines in the paper, he saw his relationship with Maurice in a different light. I felt that the film made it obvious that Clive wanted to end his relationship with Maurice because he was afraid it would ruin his career and reputation if it were made public knowledge. After Risley’s arrest, Clive avoided physical contact with Maurice.

The other difference between the film and the novel is how Clive ended the relationship. In the book, Clive sent a letter from Greece simply saying that he no longer was in love with Maurice. In the film, Clive waits until he returns from Greece to end the relationship. Clive uses the reasoning that they would both be better off marrying women so that they can express love in public. It takes Clive a while to say that he is no longer in love with Maurice. I think the film made it clearer that Clive no longer was in love with Maurice and that he did not just end the relationship so he would not jeopardize his career, because you can tell by his body language that he is not attracted to Maurice any more. Seeing in the film how Clive was no longer physically attracted to Maurice made me realize that Clive valued the relationship for the intellectual bond and Maurice is more passionate about their relationship.