Merchant Ivory: The Documentary

They made the classy commercial, until they got a little too commercial. Nevertheless, their names remain synonymous with upscale literary costume dramas, produced by their eponymous production company. Yet, behind the scenes, there was a lot of flying by the seat of their pants, as filmmaker James Ivory vividly remembers in Stephen Soucy’s documentary, Merchant Ivory, which opens today in New York.

It was their mutual love of Indian cinema and culture that first brought James Ivory and Ismail Merchant together. After their initial encounters in New York, they met up again in India, where they began their first of many collaborations. Their early works, like Shakespeare Wallah were literary, but also cross cultural. Of course, they gained international fame and acclaim with their adaptations of E.M. Forster and Henry James.

Classic Merchant Ivory films were directed by Ivory, produced by Merchant, written (or rather adapted) by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, and scored by Richard Robbins, all of whom lived together, in an almost communal relationship. It was widely known, even at the time, Ivory and Merchant were partners creatively, commercially, and personally. Yet, there was also something going on between Merchant and Robbins in later years, but it did not particularly bother Ivory—or so he says. Regardless, their closest friends and co-workers admit they are still not sure what the heck was going on there.

Sadly, only Ivory remains of the four, but he happily reminisces for Soucy’s behalf. The film also features commentary from many prominent thesps who appeared in their films, including Emma Thompson (Howard’s End, Remains of the Day), Hugh Grant (Maurice), Helena Carter Bonham (Room with a View), Greta Scacchi (Heat and Dust), and Felicity Kendal (Shakespeare Wallah). Unfortunately, Sir Anthony Hopkins never appears, perhaps because he sued for his unpaid salary due from The City of Your Final Destination.

Frankly, some of the best stories in Merchant Ivory describe how Merchant managed to wheel and deal and somehow finagle funding at the very last minute, for productions well underway. Merchant Ivory films were classy and literate, but as a producer, Merchant evidently shared a kinship with Cannon’s Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus. Apparently, his knack for scrounging money was sorely missed on Final Destination, the only Merchant Ivory film produced after his Merchant’s death.

Stylistically, Merchant Ivory is a lot like many filmmaker documentary-profiles. However, Soucy’s film is livelier than most, because of the many colorful Merchant anecdotes and the amused bemusement of friends trying to explain their relationship dynamics. Ivory is also an engaging interview subject, even when he is deliberately vague and ambiguous.

Ivory and company also discuss many very good films. Merchant and Ivory’s colleagues are generally better spoken than their Hollywood counterparts, which further enhances the film’s watchability (but many of the conspicuous absences, like the late Julian Sands, are quite sad). Recommended for fans of their films, Merchant Ivory opens today (8/30) in New York, at the Quad.