EarthRating:
Release Date: 08 April, 2003 Retail Price: $29.95 Sorry, this product is not currently available. Cast: Complete Cast (9 total) |
Earth Reviews
The human animal
"1947 -- Earth" is stunning, ravishing both visually and emotionally. The story is, ostensibly, about a particular time and place -- the city of Lahore, just on the line where the August 1947 end of the British Raj would crack the subcontinent into two parts. In a real sense, though, the film is not about one piece of history safely long ago and in someplace comfortably far away from us. It is about human behavior: what we hope we'll do, and what we're afraid we'll do.Deepa Mehta's work here surely does impact most deeply on Indian and Pakistani audiences precisely because it IS their personal history. But look at Bosnia, Kosovo, Rwanda, Darfur, 9/11, Iraq, Abu Ghraib,the bombings in Madrid and London -- the darkness there is the same one Mehta shows us in "Earth." She's talking about (and warning) people like us, too. The cast is remarkable. Even small roles are in the hands of quality like Kuhlbushan Kharbanda and Raguvir Yadav. The girl who is Lenny-baby beautifully combines innocence with the willful caprice of a child who's been over-indulged. Rahul Khanna has the sweetness of one who loves but has nothing to lose and everything to gain. Nandita Das' Shanta -- a flower around which Musselman, Hindu, Sikh, and Parsi bees all hover -- is knowledgeably flirtatious yet obtusely unobservant, or perhaps careless, of her effect. Best of all is Aamir Khan, whose Ice-Candy Man sees what is inside him, tries to stave it off, and then can do no more. Khan knows the value of stillnes. In that stillnes, his eyes -- Olivier eyes -- look at us, show us what he's seen inside and show us what we should fear inside ourselves.
A heartbreaking and powerful film.
There have been complaints in reviews here about the lack of background information in this film on the different religions. However, keep in mind that the film was made for Inidan audiences who it must be assumed already knew all that information. The rest of us will just have to do a bit of research.
For instance, Lenny-baby's family was Parsee and therefore neutral in the conflict between Muslim, Hindu and Sikh. Who were the Parsees? They were and are modern Zoroastrians. Their ancestors fled from Persia to India after the conquest of Persia by the Arabs in the 8th century.
Zoroastrianism is monotheistic like Islam and Christianity. It was once a world-class religion, but now it is almost extinct. In India, the Parsees are so few that their presence was never regarded as a threat by any of the other factions.
Regardless, the story is searing and at times hard to take. The fate of the two lovers is especially cruel.
It is interesting to see Amir Khan assay a role that is somewhat unusual for him and yet not all that unusual. He is charming, he is winning as ever and yet... In a way, his character defines what the movie tries to say about people and friendship and betrayal and hatred.
Throughout the movie, we expect from him exactly what little Lenny-baby expects. If it were otherwise, the ending would not have the impact it does. It was an inspired bit of casting.
And the little actress playing Lenny-baby, she is absolutely remarkable; one of the truest children I've ever seen on screen. She never hits a false note.
I am not sure if I could watch this movie again, but I do recommend that it be seen at least once. You will never forget it. I won't. Once is enough.
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