I assume this was done because Maurice uses the (old-style Hollywood) strategy of *not* giving a full cast list with credits at the end - so the audience leaves the film/cinema profoundly affected by the full emotional punch of the story ending, instead of sitting through endless end credits which would dilute the impact.
As in most Merchant Ivory films, the most famous actors are in the smaller roles - hence the extensive *star* credits. I just checked, and actually virtually all the actors credited at the start *do* play significant characters. The arguable exception is the final 8 credits - and even these include Scudder's parents, etc, so it's not true that they're of 'little or no' significance.
The real problem with this approach is that some actors didn't get a credit at all - e.g. the actress who plays Millie, the maid at Pendersleigh, who is pretty significant! The film also needs, but lacks, IMdB and DVD credits for some (totally uncredited) actors who feature significantly in the (DVD) deleted scenes - e.g. Adrian Ross Magenty as Dickie Barry, and the uncredited actress who plays Gladys Olcott (the smoke-ring-blowing 'New Woman' who Maurice vainly hopes he may be able to form a 'normal'/straight relationship with).
One thing I love is that the opening sequence introduces many of the actor credits in a systematic way that matches the action. So, when young Maurice (Orlando Wells) mentions his sisters Kitty and Ada to Mr Ducie, the actresses who play them are credited at that same moment. I particularly like the way the later significance of Alec Scudder for Maurice is prefigured by crediting Rupert Graves just as young Maurice pushes and looks angry at a dark-haired boy (as if the kid is a Scudder prototype and Maurice pushes him because he's uncomfortably attracted to him).
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