A Passage to India
Product Details | Similar Products | Customer Reviews | Starring: ~ Judy Davis, Victor Banerjee Peggy Ashcroft James Fox Alec Guinness List Price: $29.95 Our Price: $26.99 You Save: $2.96 (10%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours  |
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 | Product Details: Studio: Sony Pictures Region: 99 Number of Discs: 1 Format: Closed-captioned, Color Dolby Dubbed DVD Subtitled Widescreen NTSC Rating:   Sales Rank: 36792 | | Look for similar DVDs by genre: | | Customers who bought this item also bought:
| | Customer Reviews: David Lean's last film and quite a gem (18 January 2010)The Bottom Line: Another one of Lean's patented seem-like-epics-but-actually-focus-on-character type movies (like Lawrence of Arabia or Bridge on the River Kwai), A Passage to India lasts a good 160 minutes but earns its running length by developing interesting characters and then putting them through interesting situations against the lavishly exotic background of India; if anything at all interests you about the film, be sure to watch it for I doubt you'll be disappointed. 3.5/4 A Passage to India (26 December 2009)I read this book years ago. I then saw the original movie on PBS. The DVD I received was delivered very timely, in good condition, an excellent item. I am very happy. Thanks, Tom AZ Final proof the Lean was an overweening ham. (12 December 2009)Boooooring. Cheesy. Insanely overacted. "A Passage to India" is all of these things and more -- an unsubtle depiction of the colonial world which is a monumental snoozer, falling prey to the worst cliches of "sophisticated" fiilmaking. No wonder Sony chose to release this turkey with the first wave of BluRays; one of the few ways for studios to milk some profits out of dud titles in their catalogue is to offer them up when converts to a new technology will snatch up anything, or give otherwise totally forgettable films a second chance. Lean took pleasure in using the powers of a film director in drawing extreme juxtaposition and counterpoint. It's all over the place in his films, things like Lawrence blowing out the match, cutting to the desert, Zhivago walking past a pot of dying flowers -- at its best it was inspired, at its worst its cloying and self-conscious. The opening credits of "APTI" feature ancient Hindu paintings dissolving in and out while a brassy British march plays in the background...ugh. It sets the tone for the whole affair. This is a tiresome slog of a script, and I really do not feel like recounting the whole thing here. Suffice to say, it is about English aristocrats trying to get into the spirit of India and the painful social friction that occurs as a result. Yes, Forster did have some relevant things to say about the clash of cultures, but it's all just a subject I'm just not very fascinated by -- the ramifications of British snobbery. I actually think that David Lean was most interested in finding stories to use as canvases for shooting various epics about distinct countries / regions: The Middle East, Ireland, Russia, and now India. This was the wrong story. Alas, Sir David gets utterly bogged down in the overwrought interplay of his cast, and the one character who could really help out the goings-on is played by a horribly miscast Alec Guiness dressed up like something out of an Austin Powers film. A Passage to India is a highly mannered clunker from a syrupy and aging director. All of this is frustrating because the British Raj is (from what little I know of it), a fascinating subject, and deserves a far better film. This is not a "passage" to India no matter what the irony inherent in the title suggests. And special mention has to be given to the absolutely horrid epilogue in the Himalayas which plays like something from an Epcot exhibit, ending in an utterly grating final shot and fade to black. Not as good as I'd hoped (22 September 2009)The movie started out very promisingly, with a lot of visuals of India and the look and feel of the 1920s, but it all just kind of goes around in circles after it gets all the characters in place. I still don't get the whole thing with the caves. Was something supernatural supposed to have happened? Is this what led to accusations and a trial? The movie fails to make it as "trial classic" as well as it scarcely delves into the proceedings before it is all over. Speaking of all over, I found myself wondering when the movie was going to be done. And when it was done I found myself wondering what, exactly, happened. Maybe if you read the book first it makes more sense. The "muddle" of British ruled India brought brilliantly to life (14 June 2009)A PASSAGE TO INDIA is a beautifully rendered film with important themes adapted from E.M. Forster's novel of the same name. Set in colonial India during the 1920's we see the pseudo England the British have carved out in India with their club (no native Indians allowed) complete with tea parties, bands playing European music, musicals imported from London and a general disdain for all things Asian. We also get a chance to view the traditional culture of India with festivals, open air markets and beautiful ancient ruins. The story begins when Adela played by Judy Davis and her friend and presumed future mother-in-law Mrs. Moore arrive in India from England. Mrs. Moore is an intelligent, thoughtful woman whom at one point is described by a Hindu as an "old soul". Adela also has interest and respect for the Indian culture but she is hampered by inexperience and immaturity. Mrs. Moore's son, Ronny, is working in India as a magistrate for the British government and he displays snobbery and contempt for the native born Indians but has become quite popular among the many other British people living and ruling there. The two women meet Dr. Aziz, a nice native born doctor, who is almost pathetically eager to get to know the British and who is particularly taken by the kind and understanding Mrs. Moore. Dr. Aziz arranges a trip for himself, Mrs. Moore and Adela to some famous caves and the lives of these three are sadly changed forever during this outing. Peggy Ashcroft does an amazing job playing the elderly Mrs. Moore whose health and happiness deteriorate while in India. Judy Davis is also quite good as Adela who may exasperate viewers but still retains their sympathy. Also very good is Indian actor Victor Banerjee playing Dr. Aziz who wears his emotions much too plainly for the British. Famed actor Alec Guinness is totally miscast as a Hindu Brahmin professor as he physically is so obviously not of Indian descent and the part is never really fully developed. On the whole, though, this is a wonderful movie and I am ashamed to admit I have never read the book but plan to remedy that in my next trip to the library. |
