The quality of the image on the Criterion Collection is superb. It is the highest quality I have seen on my HDTV - you would miss a lot on a lower-resolution screen. The movie is a visual treat for its color and scenery. However, the acting is weak, pretty awful really. Captain John turned me off to such an extent that he kind of soured the movie for me. Somewhere it was mentioned that they were trying to get Marlon Brando for the part of Captain John - he would have been able to project brooding, rather than the sulking we get with Breen.
There is an excessive amount of voice-overs, which I think is never a good sign - usually happens when you can't get the story to convey what is desired. But, in some ways, I think the movie might have been better for me if it had gone to the extreme and just been still images with music and voice-overs - kind of in a beautiful colored Ken Burns style. But, an exception would have to be made for one incredible dance scene. All of the scenes of local Indian culture are most interesting. I have the feeling that I would like the book better than the movie.
Some of the ideas were a bit dated, like Harriet's mother telling her that women are put on earth to bear men's children.
I liked the extras more than the actual movie. The introduction by Renoir was interesting, how he explained that making this movie, and being in India, changed how he viewed the world and made him more accepting. That certainly was one of the main themes of the movie. And how Renoir came to team up with McEldowney (the co-producer) was of interest. The interview with Martin Scorsese is a highlight- his enthusiasm for the movie rubbed off a bit and made me less critical. He is a captivating speaker with a tremendous knowledge of movies.
Also, the BBC documentary on Rumer Godden was, for me, better than the movie. I think she was indeed a little peculiar, an adjective she applied to herself. And there were some peculiar scenes in that documentary, like when Godden was sitting on the porch and there were a bunch of Indians all lined up to her left on the grass. And she just continued sitting there and the Indians just kept looking at her. There was a similar scene with her on a busy street. And then there were all of those shots traversing Godden 360 degrees while she just stood there. And all of those close-ups of her that went on for thirty seconds or so while she just stared off in the distance. Her own personal story could make a good novel.
I could not make it through the interviews with McEldowney - he bored the pants off of me.
There is an excessive amount of voice-overs, which I think is never a good sign - usually happens when you can't get the story to convey what is desired. But, in some ways, I think the movie might have been better for me if it had gone to the extreme and just been still images with music and voice-overs - kind of in a beautiful colored Ken Burns style. But, an exception would have to be made for one incredible dance scene. All of the scenes of local Indian culture are most interesting. I have the feeling that I would like the book better than the movie.
Some of the ideas were a bit dated, like Harriet's mother telling her that women are put on earth to bear men's children.
I liked the extras more than the actual movie. The introduction by Renoir was interesting, how he explained that making this movie, and being in India, changed how he viewed the world and made him more accepting. That certainly was one of the main themes of the movie. And how Renoir came to team up with McEldowney (the co-producer) was of interest. The interview with Martin Scorsese is a highlight- his enthusiasm for the movie rubbed off a bit and made me less critical. He is a captivating speaker with a tremendous knowledge of movies.
Also, the BBC documentary on Rumer Godden was, for me, better than the movie. I think she was indeed a little peculiar, an adjective she applied to herself. And there were some peculiar scenes in that documentary, like when Godden was sitting on the porch and there were a bunch of Indians all lined up to her left on the grass. And she just continued sitting there and the Indians just kept looking at her. There was a similar scene with her on a busy street. And then there were all of those shots traversing Godden 360 degrees while she just stood there. And all of those close-ups of her that went on for thirty seconds or so while she just stared off in the distance. Her own personal story could make a good novel.
I could not make it through the interviews with McEldowney - he bored the pants off of me.