A Passage to India
This breathtaking film based on E.M. Forster's classic novel is an emotional and deeply personal story of love and class struggle in 1928 India. Adela Quested (Judy Davis) travels to India to visit her fiance, who is the city magistrate of Chandrapore. She is accompanied on the adventure by his mother Mrs. Moore (Peggy Ashcroft), an elderly woman who is appalled at the treatment of the Indians by the British who rule and occupy Chandrapore. Both women befriend a young Indian man, Dr. Aziz (Victor Banerjee), who -- over-stepping the accepted boundaries between the classes -- invites the women on a picnic excursion to the Marabar caves. In a strange turn of events, the young doctor is accused of attempting to rape Miss Quested.
What actually did happen in the Marabar caves is the central riddle of this lush, engrossing film.
Member Reviews
Wish I was there! - billie
Lush and lavish. A great movie, deserving of the accolades it has received over the years. A terrific story line, effectively displaying what happens when one culture dominates another unjustly. And it also demonstrates how there are always some people who don't want it that way. A lovely movie to look at and a fine message to ponder.Emotive and Transportative - zaakistan
This epic film tells the story of a colonized India that is nearly ready to revolt the the personal story of some Brit ex-pats and local nationals.
Adela travels to the interior of India to become engaged to a British city magistrate. She befriends an Indian professor who is so smitten by the fact that a white woman would take the time to befriend him that he decides to extend incredible hospitality to her. He invites her on a trip to see a set of caves. The result is catastrophic and the entire empire goes on trial.
It helps that the film is based on a thick novel giving it incredible depth. Some of the events are somewhat difficult to piece together, but the thread holding the film intact is the parallel of one people's subjugation of another and the one thing that can mend the brokenness.Not entirely faithful, but very heartfelt - eoguy
'A Passage to India' represents an honest and eloquent attempt to animate E.M. Forster's classic novel. Although it fails to capture the full complexity and symbolism of Forster's masterpiece, this film should be seen as a prime example of a sincere attempt to transfer great literature to the screen.
The spectacular backdrop of India, featuring the faithful recreation of early 20th century life under the British Raj, Peggy Ashcroft's moving performance (as Mrs. Moore), as well as the beautiful, natural smile of a young Judy Davis (as Adela Quested) only add to the film's overall success.
The latter is enhanced by David Lean's inspiring direction. Although Victor Banerjee's tiresome overacting (as Dr. Aziz), as well as the unfortunate choice of a fake-tanned Sir Alec Guinness -instead of an Indian- for the part of Professor Godbole are obvious setbacks, they are both swallowed by the film's overall high quality and attention to detail.
Finally -not in order of importance- one should not fail to mention the DVD's exceptional digital audiovisual remastering, which crowns the viewer's experience of watching this truly impressive film.
Member Reviews
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Wish I was there! - billie
Lush and lavish. A great movie, deserving of the accolades it has received over the years. A terrific story line, effectively displaying what happens when one culture dominates another unjustly. And it also demonstrates how there are always some people who ...Emotive and Transportative - zaakistan
This epic film tells the story of a colonized India that is nearly ready to revolt the the personal story of some Brit ex-pats and local nationals.
Adela travels to the interior of India to become engaged to a British city magistrate. She befriends ...Not entirely faithful, but very heartfelt - eoguy
'A Passage to India' represents an honest and eloquent attempt to animate E.M. Forster's classic novel. Although it fails to capture the full complexity and symbolism of Forster's masterpiece, this film should be seen as a prime example of a sincere attempt ...