A Passage to India
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Movie Reviews of A Passage to India
Movie Review: David Lean's Last Film One of His Best
Summary: 5 Stars
Being a fan of David Lean's work, I have always been rather bemused by the vicious critical drubbing and public indifference that greeted his 1970 work RYAN'S DAUGHTER. Lean was so upset by this that it would take him 14 years to complete another film, which would be his last, A PASSAGE TO INDIA. If the word comeback ever had a truer meaning I cannot think of it. INDIA was greeted with raves, very good boxoffice and 11 Academy Award nominations.
The story, taken from the marvelous E.M. Forster book I read in college, is the tale of Miss Quested , newly arrived from England, and her companion and prospective future mother in law Mrs. Moore. Neither wants to be constrained by the British Raj way of doing things which leads to their undoing-a sure sign of a Lean epic.
Lean manages to capture the full flavor and atmosphere of the period at a fraction of the cost of his other "big" pictures. The weirdness factor is very high in this film which is another of the director's trademarks.
The scene in which Judy Davis as the confused Miss Quested is at first confronted and then chased by a horde of wild monkeys in the midst of the ruins of some ancient temple dedicated to sex is deliciously creepy. It's relatively early in the picture so it sets the tone for what will follow.
David Lean, for an Englishman, took pains to dump on the English as a race which I've always found fascinating. Recognizing foiables in your own group takes courage and someone who is not afraid of the darker impulses in human nature. In other words, the characters here are intimately detailed, again against the backdrop of history and social upheaval that were hallmarks of Lean's films.
The late Dame Peggy Ashcroft won the oscar for her portryal of Mrs. Moore, a woman at odds with those of her own class in the midst of the dying Raj. She is wonderful as is Judy Davis (now more famous for playing judy Garland) who received a nomination for playing Miss Quested. The film is so enigmatic it may take the dvd viewer more than one screening to appreciate all the subtle Lean nuances, but it is worth your time, and I would also say you may want to purchase the soundtrack of Maurice Jarre's (Lean's composer of choice on four films) marvelous score.
I never met a Jarre score I didn't like.
While INDIA may not be another KWAI or ZHIVAGO it must always be treasured for the artistry that Lean lent to all of his films-the culmination as it were-of his various techniques and trademarks. Because it took so long for Lean to get another picture completed it must also be regarded as not only the great man's last film, but as the final period on a body of work too long delayed. We are left wondering what may have been in between his last two pictures.
Movie Review: WHEN EAST AND WEST COLLIDE...
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a magnificent and exquisitely wrought film, well nuanced and faithful in its adaptation of E.M. Forster's classic novel of the same name. Director David Lean, who had previously directed such cinematic triumphs as "Bridge on the River Kwai" and "Lawrence of Arabia", outdid himself with this film, which was nominated for eleven Academy Awards and for which Peggy Ashcroft won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, as did Maurice Jarre for Best Score.Set in 1928 colonial India, it is a story about racism and love. A headstrong and adventurous Englishwoman, Adela Quested (Judy Davis) travels to India to meet her fiance. She is accompanied on her journey by her fiance's elderly mother, Mrs. Moore (Peggy Ashcroft), a lovely and kindly woman who, upon reaching India, is appalled at the treatment of the native Indian populace by her own countrymen. She eventually makes the acquaintance of a very nice Indian man, Dr. Aziz (Victor Banerjee), who is surprised at being treated as a sentient human being by this Englishwoman. During a social ocassion, in which the usual class boundaries were set aside, he again meets the delightful Mrs. Moore and is introduced to Adela Quested. Enthused by being treated as an equal, he gets carried away and invites them to be his guests on an excursion he can ill afford to a well known, but remote tourist spot, the Marabar caves.
It is a hot day and a long journey to these mysterious caves, and Dr. Aziz and Ms. Quested are thrown together more than they ordinarily would have been, setting the stage for a fateful and strange turn of events, one that would have great personal, as well as political, impact on the parties concerned. It is a collision of East and West and makes for a definitive statement about the nature of the relationship between the native Indian population and the British colonialists. It is a relationship that makes itself most manifest during the telling courtroom scenes, making it a film to be remembered.
This is a very well acted and compelling film, a sterling tribute to David Lean's directorial talents. In this, his last cinematic triumph, Lean leaves a legacy to be remembered, having exacted wonderful performances from the star studded cast, including James Fox, Alec Guinness, and Nigel Havers. Victor Banerjee is especially compelling as the put upon, well meaning Dr. Aziz, while Peggy Ashcroft gives a sensitive and well nuanced performance as the humane and soft hearted Mrs. Moore. Judy Davis is excellent as the conflicted Ms. Quested.
The DVD itself is first rate, offering crystal clear visuals that do justice to the breathtaking cinematography. Coupled with crisp sound, this DVD ensures one's viewing pleasure. It is one well worth having in one's collection.
Movie Review: I was brought up to tell the truth....
Summary: 5 Stars
I first read A PASSAGE TO INDIA by E.M. Forster several years ago, and fell in love with the book. Forster is also the author of HOWARD'S END, ROOM WITH A VIEW, WHERE ANGELS FEAR TO TREAD, MAURICE, all stories set in Edwardian England and one of it's colonies or expatriate communities like Italy. If you haven't read Forster, do so. His writing is beautiful and complex, and his characters are richly drawn. He had an incredible understanding of the nuances of human thought and behavior and was able to translate it to the written page. His female characters are incredibly real. I have never read another male author with a greater sensitivity for the female psyche. Forester was published by his friends Virginia and Leonard Woolfe, and he had much to say about sexuality (both homoerotic and heteroerotic), sexism, racism, and classism. A PASSAGE TO INDIA--the film--is a work of art by David Lean. Lean was able to faithfully capture Forster's characters and set them in a gorgeous framework--India at the turn of the century when it was governed by the British Viceroi. You will recognize some of the Indian actors, including the young man who plays Harry Kumar in JEWEL IN THE CROWN. Lean's film will also remind you of the Merchant-Ivory productions of other Forester books, though Lean produced sumptuous period films earlier.
Actors who appear in PASSAGE appear in other period pieces based on books by Forester. For example, the Austrailian actress Judy Davis who plays Adela Quested in PASSAGE also stars in ANGELS and Sir Alex Guiness starred in another film based on a Forester book with James Wilby who also starred in the film version of MAURICE. Dame Peggy Ashcroft plays Mrs Moore, Adela's friend and the mother of Adela's fiance played by Nigel Havers.
What did happen in the Marabar caves? The film hints at the possible explanation for Miss Quested's behavior. The book is a tad less forthcoming. Two people know the truth--which one tells the truth is not completely clear. Do you think you know the truth? Read the book and you may be less certain. The film and the book are true classics that you can read and see over and over, each time arriving at a differnt "truth." The film and the book both contain ambiguity that might not resonate well with those who like neat tidy tales. Karma is.
The DVD transfer of this beautiful film is clear, crisp, and colorful--just like India--or at least the India I know based on Edwardian literature and my fertile imagination.
Movie Review: well crafted prose postcard
Summary: 5 Stars
Very interesting examination of English and Indian attitudes about themselves and each other in 1920's India. The English that reside in India may start off as decent folk with the feeling that they are in the business of improving India and some are. Most however merely see the India venture as an employment opportunity and once there merely carry on being English and force their English ways and rules on Indians whom they demean in the process. Lean presents the stereotypical English administrators and their wives as a rather unappealing bunch of snobs who only become more prejudice the longer they stay on. India is seen by them to be a muddle in need of their administrative and civilizing skills. The Indians of course see things quite differently. British snobbery and decorum prevents any social mixing with the Indians they rule so its no surprise they don't understand the people whose country they are in. Judy Davis and her fiances mother arrive in India and find the stringent social norms to be revolting. They immediately want to meet Indians and learn about the place they are in from the Indians whom they treat like polite hosts. When they do begin socializing with the Indians however trouble follows. The incident in the Marabar caves is brought on by the uneasy combination of English repression and Indian sensuality which is everywhere on display in the temples and statuary. The "incident" is the central mystery to the movie and I won't spoil it for you but during the trial that follows the true nature of the relationship between the ruling English and the subject race is made painstakingly clear to all. Excellent and competent and compressed presentation of the Forster novel which also relies on a stage version of the book. Many ripe lines throughout that stay in your mind and crystallise each characters personality as well as the overall situation quite succinctly. And as always with Lean great views from every window. Judy Davis is especially impressive as she can go from pale and mousy to red lipped seductress with just a slight change of expression and posture. Alec Guinnes plays "the inscrutable Brahmin" but the only thing inscrutable about him is that he is English and cast as a holy Indian, a misstep that wouldn't fly in todays politicized world. Other than that great cast. James Fox especially likable as the good teacher Fielding.
Movie Review: Cultures clash in British India. And a fine story too.
Summary: 5 Stars
This ambitious film, adapted from the E.M. Forster novel by David Lean, was nominated for 11 academy awards in 1984. It's a sweeping epic, with a huge cast of extras, set in British Colonial India in the 1920s. It's a good story too, about a young English woman who travels to India to marry her fiancé. While there, she meets an Indian Moslem physician and, along with her future mother-in-law and an entourage of people, they take a day trip to explore the Marabar Caves. Something happens there and the Indian physician is accused of attempting a violent assault on the young woman.The acting is uniformly good, but special mention must go to Peggy Ashcroft, who won an academy award for her role as the elderly mother of the young woman's fiancé. She's the voice of reason in a place where injustice reigns and the expressions on her face tell it all. Victor Banerjee is the Indian doctor. He's exceptionally good in a role in which he changes from making elaborate gestures of subservience to British authority to a strong-willed Indian nationalist. Judy Davis, a young Australian actress, is cast at the young woman. This is a very demanding role in which we see her coming to terms with her own awakenings, and she does a fine job. James Fox is cast as a Brit who befriends the doctor. It's a good role as it shows how disturbed he is disturbed by the prejudice around him. Alec Guinness plays a small part too, but he is cast as a Hindu guru. Because he is so familiar to me, every time he had any screen time, I was distracted because I knew who he was.
I enjoyed the film and even missed watching one of my favorite TV programs because I was too intrigued with the story to turn it off. It's 164 minutes long, but it held my interest the whole time. There's a short special feature in which the aging David Lean, the director, talks about not just this film but all the films he had made, but this feature didn't really have as much depth as I would have liked.
"Passage to India" is a good film and I heartedly recommend it. It takes the viewer right into the heart of an India that doesn't exist any more. And it's easy to understand why.