Reviews (74)

Forbidden Fire
"It was amazing that a film which explores choices, desires and the people who are victims of people who are victims of tradition, would cause such an uproar." -Deepa Mehta, the director of Fire

The beauty of this movie is more in the questions it asks than the erotic relationship between two women who resort to a lesbian relationship due to their husbands finding satisfaction everywhere else besides their marriage bed.

Are all sins equal? Is adultery not seen in the same light by religious people as desiring a person of the same sex? Why are people who desire love in the way these two women do seen as more sinful than those in society who commit adultery? Does God turn his eyes and not see one and see the other?

This movie asks questions that are difficult to answer because all of us possess desire. We all want to be loved, understood and feel the compassion of others. We don't want to live our lives feeling lonely, unloved, rejected sexually. Radha (Shabana Azmi) and Sita (Nandita Das) are forced to choose between a loveless life with their husbands or a caring and compassionate life with one another.

Ashok (Kulbushan Kharbanda) has chosen a life of celibacy. But he is married to Radha. This makes no sense and in her rejection, Radha reaches out to Sita who is newly married to Jatin (Jaaved Jaaferi) who has never let the love of his life out of his sexual domain.

To complicate matters, Mundu (Ranit Chowdhry) is not respectful of his elders and also seeks revenge. He wants to see his brother Ashok shamed because he has been shamed. In the middle of this family, the mother Biji (Kushal Rekhi) is forced to watch all her children's lives go to ruin before her eyes and she cannot speak due to a stroke.

After watching this movie, I understand to some degree why this movie was rejected by certain groups in India. It asks too many unanswerable questions, which might lead to a general frustration. Perhaps the frustration boiled to the surface as a certain realization fell over the audience. That maybe what they want and what they are expected to want is in conflict.

In a country where arranged marriages are still a common practice and woman light themselves on fire to escape marriage, I think this movie might help to awaken a sense of responsibility in men and help women to see they do have choices. In that choice is perhaps their power. Not that they should make a similar choice, but perhaps they should be more willing to ask for what they need, or demand fair treatment from their husbands. Maybe women should say they will only marry a man they love. Then there is always the possibility of divorce later.

There is a somewhat "rude awakening" to the concept of duty throughout this movie. What does it mean to you personally? Would you be willing to rebel against tradition and your religion to gain what you truly love? Sita says that the "concept of duty is overrated." Is it? Does your religion keep you from your desire or does desire keep you from religion? By the end of the movie, I was dizzy with the questions the characters actions ask.

But is there fair treatment in an arranged marriage? Would a "forced" union not breed contempt? And why do people still allow themselves to be forced into marrying someone they don't love? This seems to me to breed a rebellion. How can one defend such an unfair practice? In this situation, our sympathy is naturally for the women involved.

I think many saw this movie and feared that it would cause women to question their own place in society. This movie explores taboo. Men cheating on their wives might be seen as more acceptable than two women finding love in one another's arms. Why?

The relationship of Sita and Radha almost seems more of a metaphor of choice than a promotion of homosexuality. Naming these two characters after two of the most revered goddesses in Hindu mythology may have been going too far and many probably saw this as being disrespectful of religious beliefs.

You do probably have to be fairly open minded to enjoy this movie. For me it was more of a warning in many ways.

1. Think about who you are going to marry in a deep way.
2. Consider that if you do decide to get married, you might feel pain when you want
to be with someone else. Are you willing to endure that pain?
3. Be prepared at that point to be willing to make a decision in favor or against duty.
4. Don't be forced into marriage by anyone. This is your life.

This movie asks eternal questions. Questions about life, love, longing, desire, religion, marriage, duty, divorce, sexuality, acceptance, right, wrong and many others. I felt it was a beautifully filmed movie with a somewhat tragic concept intertwined around burning passion.

It is difficult to live in this physical world without the spiritual beauty of love. You have to be very strong to resist the power of love or to feel alive without desire.

-TheRebeccaReview.com

Fire, fire burning bright...
When I went to see this film at the cinema I was uncertain as to what I was letting myself in for. However I am glad that my friend persuaded me to give it a chance. This is a beautiful film, about a taboo subject in India, and it is handled magnificently by the director and cast alike. It follows the story of two sister-in-laws (Azmi and Das) who dare to fall in love with each other. Not only do they fall in love but they conspire to leave their inadequate husbands. Azmi is married to a man who is unable to consummate their marriage, and Das' husband is unfaithful to her, desiring his Chinese mistress over his chosen bride. Azmi and Das are living in an unforgiving world. The path they have chosen to follow is fraught with intolerance and danger and they have no allies save each other. As their relationship deepens so does the need for escape. This is not just an artsy movie, it is funny, sad and genuinely moving. It also has some darkly funny moments, watch the scene with the family servant, and the porno movies, it has to be seen to be believed. Leonard Maltin saw this film as a male bashing Lesbian chick flick, claiming that the male characters in the film were nothing more than "simplistic chauvinist pig[s]." It is obvious that Mr. Maltin has not lived in India where more often than not men rule and women obey and should you want to be different then God help you because no one else will. This film is ultimately about love, hope, redemption and purification; fire being a purifier and therefore when Azmi survives her husband's attempt to burn her to death she proves to the viewer that she is pure, and the Gods do not disapprove of her sexuality. This is a wonderful film, well acted and superbly directed. It's worth seeing especially now as you will be able to buy or rent it on DVD.

An absorbing, believable lesbian love story
I thoroughly enjoyed "Fire" for several reasons. It's a believable love story about two women who live in a culture in which homosexuality is not accepted and choose to be with each other anyway. The characters are genuine, and the glimpse into the cultural struggles they faced was heartmoving. It was not cheesy or cliched, which is refreshing. Highly recommended!

Fire lit up my evening
I thought the filming was wonderful and the cinemotography was beautiful. There was a great balance between the storyline of the two falling in love with each other and the storyline of the caste system in India and repression of female desires by males in their society.

3 1/2 Stars
This film was really quite good, but there were a few things that made this film far from perfect. While the content and message of the film was powerful, I didn't really feel comfortable with the lesbianism that took place between Rhada and Sita. Their physical exchange didn't seem authentic. They seemed to turn to each other because they longed for touch, a touch that might have been satisfied if their husbands had truly cared for them both emotionally and physically. Furthermore, I didn't like how the film seemed to portray lesbianism as the outcome of two women caring for each other. This is not always the case. Female friendship doesn't have an inherent element of lesbianism. In addition, I didn't particularly care for the cinematography. I found it to be a bit static, and unpoetic, whatever that means.

On the other hand, this movie was very powerful due to the idea that women can imagine something different for themselves, despite traditional structures that are oppressive, and despite what some might consider the insidious influences of patriarchy. This is why the film constantly returns to Rhada's attempt to envisage the ocean. So long as she can't imagine the ocean, she can't imagine a situation different for herself. The most powerful scene in this film was when Rhada declared that she "desires to live." Similarly, Sita seems to imagine something different for herself when she dresses in Jhatin's clothes. Wearing his clothes seem to empower her in a way that wearing her sari does not.

While some might tout this end of this film as a triumph for Western values, I really think this film took the approach of Third World feminism, that there are other ways to create a woman friendly situation. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A tragedy set against the ethnic violence of India's independence in 1947, the second film in Deepa Mehta's elemental India trilogy is even more incendiary than her controversial Fire. Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, and Parsees alike buzz like bees around the lovely flower Shanta (Nandita Das), the Hindu nanny of sheltered 8-year-old Parsee girl Lenny-baby. This sunny Eden of racial harmony plunges into darkness when independence brings the partition of the empire and sets ethnic groups against one another in civil war. As seen through the naive eyes of little Lenny-baby, Earth is more tragic melodrama than social history, but what Mehta's adaptation of Bapsi Sidhwa's autobiographical novel Cracking India lacks in insight, it makes up for in fiery imagery, emotional passion, and a heavy-hearted longing for the paradise lost. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Earth
Main Characters:
Lenny - A young Parsi girl, the daughter of two upper-class individuals. She is disabled and walks with a brace around her leg. She often says the wrong things at the wrong times, and is a very curious girl.
Shanta - A beautiful young Hindu woman who is Lenny's nanny. She is the object of affection of many young men. She is in love with Hasan, a young Muslim man.
Hasan - He is a young Muslim who is in love with Shanta. He is very loyal to his friends, even over the events that are happening.
Dil Navaz "Ice Candy Man" - He is also a young Muslim man who is in love with Shanta. However, she does not return his affection. He is very angry at the whole partition situation because his sisters were killed on a refugee train. He is very jealous of Hasan because Shanta loves him.

Basic Story Line
It is 1947 in Lahore, India, right before partition. Tensions are brewing between the Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs living in this town. A group of friends, two Muslim, two Hindu, and one Sikh, are starting to feel the effects of this tension as well. Although they have been friends for a long time, they are deeply affected by this, and they are starting to show signs of breaking. Among them is Shanta, a beautiful young woman who is Hindu. She is the nanny of a Parsi (considered a neutral religion) girl, Lenny, who narrates the story. Shanta is the center of the story, as she has to decide between two of her friends that wish to marry her. Her decision creates a rupture in the already unstable balance of the friends. Her life then becomes endangered when Lahore is given to Pakistan, and the Muslims are trying to rid it of Hindus. This is a story of friendship, love, and a betrayal with the ultimate consequence.

Historical Accuracy and Portrayal
This story is obviously meant to educate people on the horrors that happened during the Partition of India. It is meant to show that not only did it split up a country, but families, friendships, and lovers as well. I think this movie did an excellent job of portraying partition. However, I think that to completely understand this movie the first time around, you need to have a decent previous knowledge of the subject. For example, if I had known nothing on partition, I would have been confused as to why the Muslims and Hindu's did not like each other, or to why the Parsi's were not involved, etc. The religion issues were not given enough introductions for someone unknowing to understand. However, besides that, this was a moving movie that really made me understand how horrible this was on people. The horrendous acts of violence from both sides, the riots, and the hatred suddenly conjured up in people, were portrayed very well. It really made you think about what a horrible time it must have been in their history. Also, it makes you understand the economic struggles and moral issues that both of the countries have today. Connecting the present and the past with this movie was done very well. All in all, this movie's historical significance was truly a find, and really opens your mind to what was going on back then.

HISTORICAL, SAD, DRAMA, ROMANCE, PERFECT FILM
When I finished watching it my heart has filled with sadness. The acting is superb. Who'd think that there would be soo much betrayal and a MAJOR shift from hapiness to extreme sufering and sadness. The music although slow is also GREAT. This movie helped me on my project about India and taught me about life in India before the partition riots of 1947 and about what happened in 1947, the riots, and the meaning of India's independence to those who lived in what is now Pakistan.
The acting is exellent, there was nothing that I saw wrong with this movie at all. So much sad scenes of vicious violence, and silly scenes of childhood as well as great romance and heart influencing emotion. This movie has affected me sooo much.

A Review of Earth
Earth, by Deepa Mehta is a historical and interesting portrayal of partition, which happened in August in 1947. Partition was the work of the British rule over India, and their divide and conquer technique of rule. As they decided to give the power to the people they had one last controversy they had to put in place. Their last action in power was to separate India into Muslim (Pakistan) and Hindu (India) countries. Once put in place, chaos and massacre rose amongst the once peaceful people. Over 15 million people were forced to move to unknown territories, while many were killed.
Deepa Mehta's film, which is based on this tragedy, portrays this horror through the story of an 8 year old girl named Lenny. The film is set in the city of Lahore, which ended up in Pakistan but saw much of the violence. The girl's family is not biased toward either side since they are of the religion Parsee, neutral in this fight.
Lenny's family is a rather rich family and has many servants of different beliefs. Lenny has a warm and loving family and a life free of care. Her caretaker, Ayah Shanta, is a beautiful young Hindu girl. From the beginning, it is obvious that she is popular with the men which causes much jealousy and eventually her death in the end. Life is good for the characters until the separation movement is put in place.
As the day of action grows nearer, tension grows more and more within the town. Good friends engage in harsh political debates of separation and threats. Ice Candy Man, one of the men fighting for Ayah's love, is driven into depression when his sisters are killed on a train trying to reach Lahore before the day of separation. Then when his marriage offer is turned down and Ice Candy Man sees Ayah with Hasan, another Muslim, Ice Candy Man is driven to insanity for revenge on all Hindus, including Ayah. When a mob of blood thirsty Muslims headed by Ice Candy Man comes to Lenny's house, the parents of Lenny try to protect Ayah by saying she has left. Lenny, deceived by Ice Candy Man tells him the truth of Ayah's whereabouts. After realizing what she has done, Lenny watches as her nanny is dragged away by the mob.
I had mixed feelings about the movie, "Earth". In the beginning of the film, it set the scene by letting you meet the family that the film was based upon and view their everyday life. The movie centers around a Parsee family in which I learned took a neutral position in the partition. They didn't attack, and were not attacked by either side. In Lahore where the movie takes place, the people were very peaceful and lived comfortably together. The city was mostly Muslim populated, but the Hindus owned the majority of the businesses. When the idea of partition was introduced, they really didn't know to which country they would belong.
I really didn't enjoy the beginning, as I though the English being spoken was difficult to understand, and reading the subtitles was bothersome. There was no action, people were performing their everyday tasks and constantly debating the pros and cons of partition. As a result, at the beginning, I didn't think that the movie was going to be very interesting.
After the actual partition occurred, which was very confusing, one day all was well, the next, everyone was dying. The viewer knows that the partition was happening but I found it to be confusing. As I said, the central family was going for a drive, then suddenly you see people marching and carrying all of their belongings. I think there could have been a better way to show that the partition had begun. I thought that it was interesting to view the actual riots and a little taste of what actually happened to people when the fighting began. In Lahore, which was given to Pakistan, so the Muslims were in control, they sought out all Hindus that remained. Everyone was corrupt, even the police and fireman. If one was a Hindu, mobs of Muslims would come and take them away. I think that the movie would have been better, if a parallel was made to a city that stayed in India, so one could view what the Hindus did, as well as the Muslims. It would have been interesting also to see what happened in rural villages and in the countryside.
What I really enjoyed, was the train event, the train massacre. I didn't like the train station appearing with all the dead bodies. They didn't actually recount the history of the train burning. The movie explained some of it in a radio broadcast, but some of it was still unclear.
I felt that throughout the entire movie, I was trying to figure out what religion each family was, and what side they took, what side each city supported, and all the little details. It made it difficult to enjoy the movie. It was hard to distinguish between the secondary characters, and determine which belonged to which religion. I think there should have been a distinguishing look, or dress, something to aid you in trying to determine the religion of each member.
The movie did give me an inside look at the trials that the people had to endure during the partition, their life, although I still felt it to be confusing. I felt that the plot wandered, it was difficult to understand and analyze. The movie was an excellent tool used to teach about the life at that time, but it did not portray well the actual events and facts surrounding the partition.

An Amazing Film
I first saw this movie two years ago at an Amnesty International movie night at my college. I didn't pay all that much attention because I'd come in the middle. I saw it a year later for a Women Studies course and fell in love with it. The Partition is a difficult time in Indian and Pakistani history, but it is brought to vivid life in this film. The large scale story is brought to a manageable level with the circle that surrounds Shanta. Some of her suitors are Muslim, some Sikh, and some Hindu. She is what India could have been and the men around her are what India was to become. The acting is quite strong and I have to agree with all of the people who called the three main actors (Nandita Das,Aamir Khan, and Rahul Khanna) to be quite an amazing group and they make every scene when they are with the other shimmer and have more life than all the others. A truly beautiful movie with beautiful people, beautiful scenery, beautiful music, and a story worth hearing.

One of the finest films I have seen
I saw Deepa's first effort in this series (Fire) and was entralled with the characters and the story. I was expecting a bit of a letdown with this film as most second efforts are usually not as good. I could not have been more wrong. This film had the hair standing up on the back of my neck through the sheer emotion of the tale being told. The characters are wonderful and the plot is quick and not predictable.

I found that this film changed the way I think about some parts of my life.... ... Read more

Description

Screen favorite Jessica Tandy (DRIVING MISS DAISY) stars with Bridget Fonda (KISS OF THE DRAGON) in this feel-good comedy about an unlikely pair who set off on the road to do everything they always wanted! On their madcap journey together, they find themselves losing their car in a lake, being duped by a con man, staging a kidnapping -- and having the time of their lives! If you liked FRIED GREEN TOMATOES and THELMA & LOUISE, you're going to love CAMILLA! It's a delightfully entertaining story that shows that friendship, fun, and adventure are all just part of the ride! ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Earth
Main Characters:
Lenny - A young Parsi girl, the daughter of two upper-class individuals. She is disabled and walks with a brace around her leg. She often says the wrong things at the wrong times, and is a very curious girl.
Shanta - A beautiful young Hindu woman who is Lenny's nanny. She is the object of affection of many young men. She is in love with Hasan, a young Muslim man.
Hasan - He is a young Muslim who is in love with Shanta. He is very loyal to his friends, even over the events that are happening.
Dil Navaz "Ice Candy Man" - He is also a young Muslim man who is in love with Shanta. However, she does not return his affection. He is very angry at the whole partition situation because his sisters were killed on a refugee train. He is very jealous of Hasan because Shanta loves him.

Basic Story Line
It is 1947 in Lahore, India, right before partition. Tensions are brewing between the Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs living in this town. A group of friends, two Muslim, two Hindu, and one Sikh, are starting to feel the effects of this tension as well. Although they have been friends for a long time, they are deeply affected by this, and they are starting to show signs of breaking. Among them is Shanta, a beautiful young woman who is Hindu. She is the nanny of a Parsi (considered a neutral religion) girl, Lenny, who narrates the story. Shanta is the center of the story, as she has to decide between two of her friends that wish to marry her. Her decision creates a rupture in the already unstable balance of the friends. Her life then becomes endangered when Lahore is given to Pakistan, and the Muslims are trying to rid it of Hindus. This is a story of friendship, love, and a betrayal with the ultimate consequence.

Historical Accuracy and Portrayal
This story is obviously meant to educate people on the horrors that happened during the Partition of India. It is meant to show that not only did it split up a country, but families, friendships, and lovers as well. I think this movie did an excellent job of portraying partition. However, I think that to completely understand this movie the first time around, you need to have a decent previous knowledge of the subject. For example, if I had known nothing on partition, I would have been confused as to why the Muslims and Hindu's did not like each other, or to why the Parsi's were not involved, etc. The religion issues were not given enough introductions for someone unknowing to understand. However, besides that, this was a moving movie that really made me understand how horrible this was on people. The horrendous acts of violence from both sides, the riots, and the hatred suddenly conjured up in people, were portrayed very well. It really made you think about what a horrible time it must have been in their history. Also, it makes you understand the economic struggles and moral issues that both of the countries have today. Connecting the present and the past with this movie was done very well. All in all, this movie's historical significance was truly a find, and really opens your mind to what was going on back then.

HISTORICAL, SAD, DRAMA, ROMANCE, PERFECT FILM
When I finished watching it my heart has filled with sadness. The acting is superb. Who'd think that there would be soo much betrayal and a MAJOR shift from hapiness to extreme sufering and sadness. The music although slow is also GREAT. This movie helped me on my project about India and taught me about life in India before the partition riots of 1947 and about what happened in 1947, the riots, and the meaning of India's independence to those who lived in what is now Pakistan.
The acting is exellent, there was nothing that I saw wrong with this movie at all. So much sad scenes of vicious violence, and silly scenes of childhood as well as great romance and heart influencing emotion. This movie has affected me sooo much.

A Review of Earth
Earth, by Deepa Mehta is a historical and interesting portrayal of partition, which happened in August in 1947. Partition was the work of the British rule over India, and their divide and conquer technique of rule. As they decided to give the power to the people they had one last controversy they had to put in place. Their last action in power was to separate India into Muslim (Pakistan) and Hindu (India) countries. Once put in place, chaos and massacre rose amongst the once peaceful people. Over 15 million people were forced to move to unknown territories, while many were killed.
Deepa Mehta's film, which is based on this tragedy, portrays this horror through the story of an 8 year old girl named Lenny. The film is set in the city of Lahore, which ended up in Pakistan but saw much of the violence. The girl's family is not biased toward either side since they are of the religion Parsee, neutral in this fight.
Lenny's family is a rather rich family and has many servants of different beliefs. Lenny has a warm and loving family and a life free of care. Her caretaker, Ayah Shanta, is a beautiful young Hindu girl. From the beginning, it is obvious that she is popular with the men which causes much jealousy and eventually her death in the end. Life is good for the characters until the separation movement is put in place.
As the day of action grows nearer, tension grows more and more within the town. Good friends engage in harsh political debates of separation and threats. Ice Candy Man, one of the men fighting for Ayah's love, is driven into depression when his sisters are killed on a train trying to reach Lahore before the day of separation. Then when his marriage offer is turned down and Ice Candy Man sees Ayah with Hasan, another Muslim, Ice Candy Man is driven to insanity for revenge on all Hindus, including Ayah. When a mob of blood thirsty Muslims headed by Ice Candy Man comes to Lenny's house, the parents of Lenny try to protect Ayah by saying she has left. Lenny, deceived by Ice Candy Man tells him the truth of Ayah's whereabouts. After realizing what she has done, Lenny watches as her nanny is dragged away by the mob.
I had mixed feelings about the movie, "Earth". In the beginning of the film, it set the scene by letting you meet the family that the film was based upon and view their everyday life. The movie centers around a Parsee family in which I learned took a neutral position in the partition. They didn't attack, and were not attacked by either side. In Lahore where the movie takes place, the people were very peaceful and lived comfortably together. The city was mostly Muslim populated, but the Hindus owned the majority of the businesses. When the idea of partition was introduced, they really didn't know to which country they would belong.
I really didn't enjoy the beginning, as I though the English being spoken was difficult to understand, and reading the subtitles was bothersome. There was no action, people were performing their everyday tasks and constantly debating the pros and cons of partition. As a result, at the beginning, I didn't think that the movie was going to be very interesting.
After the actual partition occurred, which was very confusing, one day all was well, the next, everyone was dying. The viewer knows that the partition was happening but I found it to be confusing. As I said, the central family was going for a drive, then suddenly you see people marching and carrying all of their belongings. I think there could have been a better way to show that the partition had begun. I thought that it was interesting to view the actual riots and a little taste of what actually happened to people when the fighting began. In Lahore, which was given to Pakistan, so the Muslims were in control, they sought out all Hindus that remained. Everyone was corrupt, even the police and fireman. If one was a Hindu, mobs of Muslims would come and take them away. I think that the movie would have been better, if a parallel was made to a city that stayed in India, so one could view what the Hindus did, as well as the Muslims. It would have been interesting also to see what happened in rural villages and in the countryside.
What I really enjoyed, was the train event, the train massacre. I didn't like the train station appearing with all the dead bodies. They didn't actually recount the history of the train burning. The movie explained some of it in a radio broadcast, but some of it was still unclear.
I felt that throughout the entire movie, I was trying to figure out what religion each family was, and what side they took, what side each city supported, and all the little details. It made it difficult to enjoy the movie. It was hard to distinguish between the secondary characters, and determine which belonged to which religion. I think there should have been a distinguishing look, or dress, something to aid you in trying to determine the religion of each member.
The movie did give me an inside look at the trials that the people had to endure during the partition, their life, although I still felt it to be confusing. I felt that the plot wandered, it was difficult to understand and analyze. The movie was an excellent tool used to teach about the life at that time, but it did not portray well the actual events and facts surrounding the partition.

An Amazing Film
I first saw this movie two years ago at an Amnesty International movie night at my college. I didn't pay all that much attention because I'd come in the middle. I saw it a year later for a Women Studies course and fell in love with it. The Partition is a difficult time in Indian and Pakistani history, but it is brought to vivid life in this film. The large scale story is brought to a manageable level with the circle that surrounds Shanta. Some of her suitors are Muslim, some Sikh, and some Hindu. She is what India could have been and the men around her are what India was to become. The acting is quite strong and I have to agree with all of the people who called the three main actors (Nandita Das,Aamir Khan, and Rahul Khanna) to be quite an amazing group and they make every scene when they are with the other shimmer and have more life than all the others. A truly beautiful movie with beautiful people, beautiful scenery, beautiful music, and a story worth hearing.

One of the finest films I have seen
I saw Deepa's first effort in this series (Fire) and was entralled with the characters and the story. I was expecting a bit of a letdown with this film as most second efforts are usually not as good. I could not have been more wrong. This film had the hair standing up on the back of my neck through the sheer emotion of the tale being told. The characters are wonderful and the plot is quick and not predictable.

I found that this film changed the way I think about some parts of my life.... ... Read more