Rating: 
Summary: Cultures clash in British India. And a fine story too.
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: Yet Another Passage To Racism
Review: This film is an interesting adaptation of E.M. Forrester's novel. The story meshes British colonialism and India's great culture into a bowl of horrible racism.
Director David Lean did a fine job on this classic story. His direction is subtle and calming somewhat as I imagine India to be in a traditional sense. Unfortunately I had the feeling Lean resorted to stereotypes in his projection of the true India. Some of the scenery seemed adapted to the screen rather than truthful for 1920's India. He scanned over the poorer aspects of this beautiful country in order to save the beauty of his film. Also I found the casting of Alec Guinness (as Indian Prof. Godbole) really atrocious. With all of the decent actors from India why waste a bunch of makeup and fake accents on a British actor who is capable of better roles? Other than these exceptions I felt Lean did a marvelous job filming such a unique and vast country, he frames beautiful landscapes and manages to capture the heart of the moon several times.
The actors in this film are marvelous (except for Alec Guinness!) with Peggy Ashcroft and Judy Davis stealing the show as two British women daring to travel and see something other than what feels safe. Davis is somewhat irritating as the boneless woman who can't decide if she wants marriage or love, she is passionless and becomes intimidated or enthralled by the passion found in India. Because of her wavering existence she jeopardizes the life of Dr. Aziz (played perfectly by Victor Banerjee) by accusing this honorable man of rape. Needless to say the powerful British take this accusation as a reason to act upon their upper class laurels and persecute the Indians. And yet another picture shows the devastation of racism at the hands of a white society touted as being civil.
This film is a bit long and begins with a tinge of boredom but once the story unfolds and you find yourself transported to the beautiful scenic views of India it is worth the effort. The way the peaceful native Indians were treated by the British who occupied their country is horrible and the racism absolutely deplorable but the facts are important to history and in need of being told. Too bad the entire world could not see through the eyes of Mrs. Moore (Ashcroft) and feel that all people deserve the same treatment but I guess we have to wait for another passage to open up before that happens.
Rating: 
Summary: A Passage to Boredom
Review: This is a film based on a book written by an author dedicated to boring you senseless. The film drags and has no appreciable moments and the acting is quite forgettable. This is the sort of "sophisticated" film that ends with you sitting in your car cursing the person who conned you into wasting 2 excruciatingly painful hours filled with you listening to people munch on stale popcorn. Don't read the book and don't see the film. Actually, if you rent the film, only do so as part of some cruel hoax on the person you're planning to torture with it. Certainly don't waste your time watching this alone. As proof of my criticism of this waste of time, how many times can you say that this film as been shown on TV? Yes, I can only remember it being on once back many years ago. So there you have it.
Rating:
Summary: WHEN EAST AND WEST COLLIDE...
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful movie
Review: This is a wonderful movie (of a great book by arguably the best writerof the 20th Century) that I love watching over and over again. The cast is perfect, the cinamatography is stunning, and the dialogue is pure EM Forster, which is to say, perfect.
Rating:
Summary: Rewarding to those who are Well Versed with the Novel
Review: This is one of my favourite novels in high school. It's a book on humanity stressing goodwill as a bridge in human communication. Ron's mother, Mrs Moore, instead was the supreme model of human understanding. She readily took off her shoes upon entering a mosque at night when there was scarcely any people around and when all British treaded upon practically everything that was local. It was also in her honour that the Bridge Party with the locals was arranged. She never saw the British Raj's attitude towards the locals appropriate. After her departure and at the trial of Dr Aziz, those who attended the court chanted, "Mrs Moore, Mrs Moore..." She became one of their goddesses. Years later when her younger son and daughter visited India and ran into Dr Aziz after his ordeal, they were nevertheless given special treatment... Right inside the ring was, of course, Mr Fielding and Dr Aziz who all along showed much understanding instead of conflicts. They became friends and Dr Aziz even offered his stud to Fielding, the very one that he was in use of. It was until the hallucination of Miss Quested that Dr Aziz was taken aback. Fielding was a minority, but hat was the right start to human understanding. The Ron's boss was just in the background, no more important than the India Professor. Well, it's hard to say whether it's essentially an Indian or British novel. The novel is so full of symbolism and imageries. There were substantial narratives every now and then and the decriptions were full of intricacies and the themes were rather estatic, broadly divided into several chopped up sections. It takes little imagination to think of what Marabar Caves have to offer in terms of drama. It's so dull and monotonous. As such it's rather difficult to rendered this novel into a movie. David Lean showed more depth if not more resources in his treatment than Dr Zhivago. It's brilliant work if one is well versed with the novel itself and it's really rewarding. But with regret, as pointed out by some reviewers, the result may not be equally impressing. To say the least, the central theme is not dramatically attractive enough.
Rating: 
Summary: A Passage to India
Review: This is the last film David Lean directed. (David Lean is of "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Bridge on the River Kwai" fame.) Based on the classic novel by E.M. Forster, this movie tells of a story of British racism in India during the early 1900's. A young woman, Adela Quested, travels to India to visit her fiance. Traveling with her is her fiance's elderly mother, Mrs. Moore. Mrs. Moore is utterly astonished at how the British treat the Indians, and even shows shame at her own son's ill treatment towards them. Her son is the magistrate. Mrs. Moore and Miss Quested befriend an Indian doctor, Aziz Ahmed. Aziz is overwhelmed at how friendly Mrs. Moore and Miss Quested are towards him and in his excitement he plans a day trip to the mysterious Marabar caves with them, to help show them around India. While there, inside the mystifying caves, something happens to Miss Quested and Aziz is accused of raping her. What follows is a court battle as well as a battle for the inner personal truth. Synopsis aside, I was horrified at how the British treated the Indians. I had never really thought of it until watching this movie. For shedding some historical light, even if it is historical-fiction, I give this movie two thumbs up, as well as give it four stars for completely weaving me into the story. In the beginning, I was slightly wary that it might turn out to be a boring historical-fiction film, but quite the contrary. I was glued to the "tube" in my anticipation to find the fate of the characters in this movie. The movie was completed in 1985 and it took over 30 years to see it completed. In the beginning, Forster did not want to sell the screen rights to the play for fear the movie would be seen as either pro-British or pro-Indian. I will admit that while watching it I despised the British's treatment of the Indians so perhaps it wasn't as objective as Forster had hoped, but what is there to be objective about in unfairness?
Rating:
Summary: A Passage to India
Review: This is the last film David Lean directed. (David Lean is of "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Bridge on the River Kwai" fame.) Based on the classic novel by E.M. Forster, this movie tells of a story of British racism in India during the early 1900's. A young woman, Adela Quested, travels to India to visit her fiance. Traveling with her is her fiance's elderly mother, Mrs. Moore. Mrs. Moore is utterly astonished at how the British treat the Indians, and even shows shame at her own son's ill treatment towards them. Her son is the magistrate. Mrs. Moore and Miss Quested befriend an Indian doctor, Aziz Ahmed. Aziz is overwhelmed at how friendly Mrs. Moore and Miss Quested are towards him and in his excitement he plans a day trip to the mysterious Marabar caves with them, to help show them around India. While there, inside the mystifying caves, something happens to Miss Quested and Aziz is accused of raping her. What follows is a court battle as well as a battle for the inner personal truth. Synopsis aside, I was horrified at how the British treated the Indians. I had never really thought of it until watching this movie. For shedding some historical light, even if it is historical-fiction, I give this movie two thumbs up, as well as give it four stars for completely weaving me into the story. In the beginning, I was slightly wary that it might turn out to be a boring historical-fiction film, but quite the contrary. I was glued to the "tube" in my anticipation to find the fate of the characters in this movie. The movie was completed in 1985 and it took over 30 years to see it completed. In the beginning, Forster did not want to sell the screen rights to the play for fear the movie would be seen as either pro-British or pro-Indian. I will admit that while watching it I despised the British's treatment of the Indians so perhaps it wasn't as objective as Forster had hoped, but what is there to be objective about in unfairness?
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant!!!
Review: This movie is truly one of the greatest films ever made. It has often been overlooked and dismissed by many film critics, but it is the last and greatest film by one of the greatest filmakers in history. The movie is both highly entertaining and full of brilliant symbolism, while never feeling high handed. It would be a shame to miss this.
Rating:
Summary: A classic movie
Review: This movie will keep your interest throughout, both through its plot and its very good cinematography. Racism, friendship and human values are some of the strongest points that come out of this movie, which will get the viewer acquainted with some exotic scenery in India. Well transferred into the DVD, well worth seeing.
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