 | Starring: Julie Christie, Greta Scacchi, Christopher Cazenove, Julian Glover, Susan Fleetwood Director: James Ivory Format: PAL Released: 30 Jun 2003 RRP: Average Rating:  |
One story is that of Olivia (Greta Scacchi), the young & beautiful wife of Douglas Rivers (Christopher Casenove), a minor district official in colonial India. The film tells of her arrival in India, newly wed & in love with her husband, her subsequent boredom with the staid, British Colonial community, & her blossoming infatuation with the Nawab (Shashi Kapoor), a very handsome & charming, local Indian prince. It is her romance with the Nawab that is to result in a life changing action, one that would forever cause a permanent rift with Douglas, changing her life forever.
The second story is that of Anne (Julie Christie), a beautiful & independent woman, a descendant of Olivia's sister. Nearly sixty years after Olivia's transgression, fascinated by the story of the deceased Olivia, Anne goes to India, visiting those locations where Olivia had lived & those which would have been a part of her existence at the time. As did Olivia, she fallls under India's spell. As did Olivia, she, too, has an Anglo-Indian love affair. Hers is with her landlord, Inder Lal (Zakir Hussain). Anne's life essentiallly picks up where the thread of Olivia's life left off, giving the reader a powerful sense of de-ja vu, bringing reincarnation to mind.
This film is a beguiling story of two women from two different generations who come under the spell of India. It is evocative of British colonial India, as well as of India of the early nineteen eighties. During both eras, Anglo-Indian relations are pivotal to the budding romances, & the film is evocative of the rhythms of Indian life in alll its richness & tumultuousness, as well as its lingering poverty & superstitions. Redolent of a time gone by, it is also an interesting dichotomy of the good & bad in both cultures, Anglo & Indian, & the influence that both cultures have on these two women, who are so different, yet so alike.
Julie Christie is perfect as the thoroughly modern, beautiful, free thinking, young woman who retraces her ancestor's footsteps. Greta Scacchi, in her introductory film role, is luminous as the lovely Olivia, a woman who did not let prejudice & narrow mindedness blind her to the charms of India, its people, & its culture. Shashi Kapoor is perfectly cast as the handsome Indian Prince, whose veneer of culture & sophistication belies an injured pride, chafing under British colonialism. While the role of Inder Lal is well played by Zakir Hussain, there does not appear to be much chemistry between him & Julie Christie, in contrast to the smoldering chemistry there is between Scacchi & Kapoor. The seeming lack of chemistry between Hussain & Christie is the one weakness in this film.
The film, one of the earlier Merchant Ivory productions, is beautifully shot. Gorgeous period costumes contribute to the sense of a time gone by. While the story bounces along between the past & the present, it is effectively done, as one sees the transformation of the past to its present. This is a film that will appeal to those who love period dramas, as well as those who simply love a good, entertaining story.
One story is that of Olivia (Greta Scacchi), the young & beautiful wife of Douglas Rivers (Christopher Casenove), a minor district official in colonial India. The film tells of her arrival in India, newly wed & in love with her husband, her subsequent boredom with the staid, British Colonial community, & her blossoming infatuation with the Nawab (Shashi Kapoor), a very handsome & charming, local Indian prince. It is her romance with the Nawab that is to result in a life changing action, one that would forever cause a permanent rift with Douglas, changing her life forever.
The second story is that of Anne (Julie Christie), a beautiful & independent woman, a descendant of Olivia's sister. Nearly sixty years after Olivia's transgression, fascinated by the story of the deceased Olivia, Anne goes to India, visiting those locations where Olivia had lived & those which would have been a part of her existence at the time. As did Olivia, she fallls under India's spell. As did Olivia, she, too, has an Anglo-Indian love affair. Hers is with her landlord, Inder Lal (Zakir Hussain). Anne's life essentiallly picks up where the thread of Olivia's life left off, giving the reader a powerful sense of de-ja vu, bringing reincarnation to mind.
This film is a beguiling story of two women from two different generations who come under the spell of India. It is is evocative of British colonial India, as well as of India of the early nineteen eighties. During both eras, Anglo-Indian relations are pivotal to the budding romances, & the film is evocative of the rythyms of Indian life in alll its richness & tumultuousness, as well as its lingering poverty & superstitions. Redolent of a time gone by, it is also an interesting dichotomy of the good & bad in both cultures, Anglo & Indian, & the influence that both cultures have on these two women, who are so different, yet so alike.
Julie Christie is perfect as the thoroughly modern, beautiful, free thinking, young woman who retraces her ancestor's footsteps. Greta Scacchi, in her introductory film role, is luminous as the lovely Olivia, a woman who did not let prejudice & narrow mindedness blind her to the charms of India, its people, & its culture. Shashi Kapoor is perfectly cast as the handsome Indian Prince, whose veneer of culture & sophistication belies an injured pride, chafing under British colonialism. While the role of Inder Lal is well played by Zakir Hussain, there does not appear to be much chemistry between him & Julie Christie, in contrast to the smoldering chemistry there is between Scacchi & Kapoor. The seeming lack of chmistry btween Hussain & Christie is the one weakness in this film.
The film, one of the earlier Merchant Ivory productions, is beautifully shot. Gorgeous period costumes contribute to the sense of a time gone by. While the story bounces along between the past & the present, it is effectively done, as one sees the transformation of the past to its present. This is a film that will appeal to those who love period dramas, as well as those who simply love a good, entertaining story. It is a film well worth having in one's collection.
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