A PASSAGE TO INDIA (1984)

Excellent film by David Lean, based on the novel by E.M. Forster, examines Anglo-Indian attitudes after WW I.

The film won a supporting Oscar for Peggy Ashcroft and a lead nom for wonderful Judy Davis, But Victor Banerjee is also excellent as Aziz and if the film had been made 20 years later would have won him an Oscar nomination.

Slow and stately, the film unravels the world of British India as Aziz goes from toady to rebel because of the sexual hysterics of an English lady (Davis). Lean has a keen eye and shows us a beautiful India of mountains and rivers and skies.

When I first saw this film in 1984 I was very impatient at its deliberate pace, but now it's a revelation of craftsmanship and superb acting.

Also very good are James Fox, Saeed Jaffrey, Nigel Havers, Michael Culver as the lawyer, Antonia Pemberton as the hideous Mrs. Turton, and Alec Guinness as Godboli.

I saw this when it was first released and a couple of times since. A handsomely mounted production but it came out hot on the heels of the highly aclaimed British TV drama series THE JEWEL IN THE CROWN which was shown about 1983 and to which it has more than a passing resemblance. Peggy Ashcroft also starred in that.


We refer to the time when the British ruled India as "The days of the Raj" something some of us here in the UK find rather embarrassing today.

Why would you be embarrassed? What's it to do with you?

I hate the PC bullshit that tries to make us feel guilty for history......

If you want to be embarrassed, be embarrassed over Tony Blair and I'll be embarrassed over Bush.....

I loved THE JEWEL IN THE CROWN when I saw it decades ago. Tim Piggott-Smith, Geraldine James, Susan Waldridge?, Peggy Aschcroft, Fabia Drake, etc..... The last gasp of MASTERPIECE THEATER....

Judy Davis (A PASSAGE TO INDIA) joins the ranks of greats stars who couldn't win an Oscar.....

Depends how one defines history. When I was born Britain still had an empire. If you define history as something before one was born then what has vintage Hollywood to do with me? Am I not allowed to be embarrassed when I see a favourite star giving a bad performance?


History! As is widely reported in this morning's newspapers, Hugh Grant and Jemima Khan are HISTORY!


On the subject of THE JEWEL IN THE CROWN don't forget the excellent Judy Parfitt. She played the mother of the two girls.

History has nothing to do with me.... but of course we all claim what baggage we want....

and yes Judy Parfitt was excellent. I'm surprised she didn't become a bigger star like Mirren or Dench..... but then I'm also surprised Diana Rigg didn't have a bigger film career.....

Precisely!


So no need to summarily dismiss what everyone else thinks!


By the way I'm watching an episode of JEWEL at the moment as there is nothing else on.

Enjoy your baggage.....

What baggage? No dame from Washington Heights ever got a fox fur out of me!

LOL.....

I didn't mean that to turn into an argument....

I was stunned at how good A PASSAGE TO INDIA was..... Osborne (are you getting the 31 Days of Oscar in UK?) introduced it by saying David Lean had had a 14 year period when he never made a film. Lean scrambled for YEARS to get the financing for INDIA.....

If you mean TCM, yes we do get the occasional month of Oscar winners but not at the moment I don't think.


Love the bit when Aziz hangs off the train whilst crossing a high bridge.
"Look - Douglas Fairbanks!". The worldwide appeal of silent Hollywood.

OH we get the official 31 DAYS OF OSCAR for programming in March or February... the films are grouped into various categories of wins and nominations..... A PASSAGE TO INDIA was in a group of supporting actress Oscar winners......

and yes that train shot over a river was quite good.....