In an era of big-budget blockbusters and high-tech special effects, filmmaker
Ismail Merchant earned a reputation for literate, thoughtful movies driven by
character and became noteworthy for strong casts. The Bombay native teamed with
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American colleague James Ivory to produce some 40 films during the course of
their partnership, launched in 1961 with German-born screenwriter Ruth Prawer
Jhabvala, earning Merchant-Ivory productions glowing reviews and frequent
awards. Their creative blueprint consistently ran counter to the "high concept"
movie packaging trend, relying instead on sources such as E. M. Forster and
Henry James. Their Forster adaptations, "A Room With a View" (1985) and "Howards End" (1992) earned three Oscars each and epitomized
Merchant-Ivory's skill at well-made, emotional period dramas, which also
included "The Remains of the Day," "Shakespeare Wallah," "The Europeans" and "Mr. and Mrs. Bridge." Among their final projects is "The White Countess" with Ralph Fiennes, Natasha Richardson and Vanessa Redgrave. Close
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