Whether you come to Howards End because it's an adaptation of a novel by E.M. Forster, or because of the stellar cast, or because it's a Merchant Ivory production, or simply because you're looking for a good drama, you'll find it well worth your time. Howards End tells the somewhat bittersweet story of the interrelations of three very different social circles: the Schlegel sisters, cultured and well educated, and very free-spirited; the Wilcoxes, highly conservative and also extremely wealthy; and the Basts, who are poor and working-class.

There's a great deal of social commentary that can be read into Howards End, and indeed the film beautifully evokes the different physical and social worlds of Edwardian England, from the lovely rural countryside to the crowded streets of London. What makes the film work, in a way that other, similarly intentioned period films falter (even other films by Merchant Ivory) is that the story is inhabited by human beings, whose lives are interesting and engaging to us as viewers. Regardless of whether we ever come to think about the characters and their places in the social or economic hierarchy (which the film invites us to do but doesn't insist on), we're drawn in by their very real loves and sorrows, and their hopes, dreams, and fears for the future.

While I enjoyed the film from the start, I think that I've come to enjoy Howards End even more on repeat viewings than I did initially. The first time that I watched Howards End, I wasn't quite sure what to make of the character of Leonard Bast. Viewing the film as the story of Margaret and Helen Schlegel, I felt that Leonard was almost a loose end, a character who seemed out of place in the story of the relationship between the Schlegels and the Wilcoxes.

But Leonard is anything but superfluous: in fact, I'd say now that he's the most significant character in the film, even though we don't spend as much time with him as with Margaret and Helen. Of all the characters in the film, he's the only one who truly wants more from his life than what he has, and the one who most keenly feels that he has something special in his mind and heart that deserves to live and be free. The Wilcoxes are clearly not concerned with improving themselves, as they already consider themselves better than everyone else; instead, their driving concern is to protect their wealth and property from outsiders and ensure that it passes along within the family. What of Margaret and especially Helen, who seem like free thinkers? They already inhabit a world that's much of what Leonard dreams of, full of books, art, music, and stimulating discussion, but they are happy within that world; like the Wilcoxes, they seek to preserve and protect the lifestyle that they already have.

As anyone can see, though, the Wilcoxes and the Schlegels are very different, and that's what becomes evident in their respective responses to meeting Leonard Bast. Helen in particular immediately recognizes him as a fellow free spirit; in any case, their connection with him draws them out of their carefully established habits and sets them on the road to dramatic changes in their lives... and in the lives of the Wilcoxes as well. The second half of the story of Howards End is, in a sense, an observation of how the dominoes are falling, as the energy in Leonard's character inspires Helen to a course of action that ultimately affects Margaret and Henry Wilcox, with consequences that return to Helen and Leonard once again.

All of this can come to fruition, of course, only through the excellent performances of all concerned: Howards End boasts a star-studded cast who all seem genuinely perfect for their roles. I can't think offhand of any film I've seen with Emma Thompson in it that I haven't liked, and she certainly earns her Oscar for Best Actress here. Helena Bonham Carter's flighty energy works very well in her performance as Helen, and Anthony Hopkins handles Mr. Wilcox, giving a touch of subtlety and added depth to a character who could easily have been a stereotypical hypocritical, wealthy snob. Given the focus of the story on property and wealth, the lavish period setting is practically a character in its own right, and it's certainly in the film's favor that it looks absolutely perfect in every detail of costume and setting.

The DVD

This release of Howards End is as part of the Merchant Ivory Collection. It's a two-disc set, packaged in a slim single-wide keepcase. An insert booklet provides some background information on the film.

Video

Howards End appears here in a new edition; the question on my mind was whether we'd get more than just more stylish packaging and a second disc of special features. As it turns out, the new transfer on this edition of Howards End is indeed an improvement over the single-disc edition that was released a few years ago. Both versions present the film in an anamorphically enhanced widescreen transfer at its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio, but the newer transfer appears to have been significantly cleaned up. In a side-by-side comparison, I noticed significant print flaws in the older transfer, along with instances of shimmering and slight grain; these have all been removed from the new transfer. Since the print flaws in the earlier release were fairly significant (not just little specks, but large blobs at times), this one improvement alone makes Howards End look considerably more pleasing to the eye.

Apart from being cleaner, the new transfer looks otherwise almost identical to the earlier transfer. There seems to be a hint more detail and crispness to the newer transfer, but it's hard to say how much of that is the result of looking cleaner; in any case, the image looks nicely textured and sharp, with only the faintest hint of edge enhancement.

Audio

Although the case modestly describes the soundtrack as merely "stereo," the new release of Howards End in fact offers a Dolby 5.1 track, a significant step up from the somewhat bland 2.0 track of the earlier release. (There's no 2.0 option on the new release.) The overall sound experience is extremely pleasing, with the film's lovely musical score sounding rich and full, and dialogue always coming across in a clear, distinct manner. The surround channels don't get used consistently throughout the film, as the dialogue-centered scenes tend to use only the front channels, but the full surround mix is used often enough to help create a nice sense of being immersed in the world of Howards End. In any case, the upgraded sound certainly makes for a more enjoyable experience of viewing the film.

Extras

There's no doubt that the special features on this new edition out-class the first release (which had nothing but trailers). The second disc is devoted entirely to the bonus material.

First in line is "Building Howards End," a new 42-minute documentary (in anamorphic widescreen, no less) that provides an interesting, in-depth look at the making of the film and what the filmmakers see as the meaning and significance of the story. We get interviews with Ismail Merchant, James Ivory, Helena Bonham Carter, costume designer Jenny Beavan, and production designer Luciana Arrighi. Arrighi also gets a 9-minute featurette all to herself, as in "The Design of Howards End" she discusses the production designs and concept art for the film.

For viewers who are interested in the history of Merchant Ivory, the 49-minute documentary "The Wandering Company" will be worth seeing. This piece, which appears in the 1.33:1 aspect ratio, was originally made in 1984; it takes a retrospective look at the previous twenty years of the Merchant Ivory team's filmmaking.

Lastly, we get the promotional featurette from 1992 (4 minutes) and the theatrical trailer.

Final thoughts

Howards End is a rich and satisfying film, and one that holds up very well for repeat viewing. This DVD release is a distinct improvement over the earlier release in both video and audio quality, so fans of the film should seriously consider upgrading; in any case, new viewers are advised to pick up this version. Highly recommended.