tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post8249758469934600822..comments2023-11-10T08:26:51.182-06:00Comments on Beth Loves Bollywood: Heat and DustBeth Loves Bollywoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05540154833326987567noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post-87355345735893293842008-08-05T15:53:00.000-05:002008-08-05T15:53:00.000-05:00BETH ASKED:* I definitely got a vibe between Harry...<B><I>BETH ASKED:</I></B><BR/>* I definitely got a vibe between Harry and the Nawab. Can anyone who's read the book to speak to this?<BR/><BR/>Beth,<BR/><BR/>I had read this in school long back, but I picked up a copy at the liby a year or so ago.<BR/><BR/>here are my thots abt the film v/s the book:<BR/>1. (pertains to yr question): No similarity between Harry of the book (described as "fat and unattractive." I did a double take when I saw Nickolas.) So the "vibe" you saw was purely the players reading more into their screenplay.<BR/><BR/>2. the opening of the movie is very confusing for those who haven't read the book, in terms of the narrative structure. for folks like my wife who has hardly any time to watch ONE movie through, let alone rewatch it, this is a minus point.<BR/><BR/>3. Marcia, who plays a very important role in Olivia's life in the novel is barely/not at all mentioned in the film.<BR/><BR/>4. Maji is a very important and mysterious character in the book, while the relationship in the film between Maji and the narrator is glossed over and Maji is a very trivial background character. In fact, come to think of it, in the film, it’s mentioned that the narrator went to see her because she’s a midwife after she got to know that she’s pregnant on her own. This TOTALLY doesn’t fit with the description in the novel.<BR/><BR/>4. One of the most important facets of the book's narrative (and I know it's hard to bring this out in film, but "lesser" folks like Attenborough have succeeded in this effort) is Jhabvala's beautifully subtle description of the give/take, yin/yang relationship between the colonist and the colonized. In my mind, this was pivotal in making the entire narrative arc work in the book, but it doesn't come through in the film.<BR/><BR/>Hope this helps.crazyhorsehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17649856816421239528noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post-74032026275377567202008-08-05T14:06:00.000-05:002008-08-05T14:06:00.000-05:00Some of the confusion/lack of depth about Inder La...Some of the confusion/lack of depth about Inder Lal stems from the lack of detail carried over from the 1975 Booker Prize winning novel into the screenplay.<BR/><BR/>IMHO, there is lot of stuff borrowed from Ruth's own Indian husband that goes into Inder's character in the book.<BR/><BR/>My lasting impressions are that this was easily my fav MerchIv production, with so many layers and the play on "contrasts": Hot and cold, rich and poor (the old beggar woman lying on the street) and the magnificent cinematography.<BR/><BR/>Lastly, I would also posit that Jhabvala has made the inference (correct or not) that the social successor of the Nawab is the middle-class Indian male, which is why they are depicted in that urbane fashion.crazyhorsehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17649856816421239528noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post-34824225452370380212008-07-29T23:43:00.000-05:002008-07-29T23:43:00.000-05:00I love this movie! It's like a Raj soap. I haven't...I love this movie! It's like a Raj soap. I haven't read the novel so I don't know if there's a gay subtext in it but in the movie there definitely seemed to be an implication that the Nawab was an equal opportunity sort of guy. Although it just might have been male bonding circa 1920s coz God knows I see subtext where none is intended in ye olden days. <BR/><BR/>As for Zakir - he shouldn't quit his day job.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post-54638379856623548342008-07-28T13:55:00.000-05:002008-07-28T13:55:00.000-05:00ppcc - If you don't watch Shakespeare-Wallah soon ...ppcc - If you don't watch <I>Shakespeare-Wallah</I> soon I'm going to come over there and make you. <BR/><BR/>re: orientalism: I'm still no the "no" side, but I haven't seen all the relevant evidence yet. <BR/><BR/>The other memsaabs are horrid. If I were Olivia, I'd rather hang out with pretty much anyone else.<BR/><BR/>Side question: can one exoticize/oreintalize one's own culture, which is what we're talking about with Merchant? Discuss. My vote is "probably."<BR/><BR/>[Spoilers follow!]<BR/><BR/>Bollyviewer - Olive is the more interesting arc, I agree. Whether or not her child is the Nawab's is not stated clearly in the film, though the Nawab certainly thinks so and acts as though it is. And quite possibly the fate of their relationship would have been a lot different it he hadn't. And yes, Anne does do that - and I'm not sure why. <BR/><BR/>bombaygirl - I agreek, it had some wrenching moments. You've describe Shashi's character well - it's hard to know what to make of the Nawab, because he seems like a decent enough guy but is clearly up to some fairly dangerous machinations too. (The movie usually refers to these rather than shows them directly, so we don't see much of the impact of his misdeeds.) He's also wistful and sad about his interpersonal mistakes, which makes him sympathetic. <BR/><BR/>Good call on Harry-Nawab possibly reflecting Marchant-Ivory! <BR/><BR/>Interesting question about Ritu. If the movie showed us anything about her sexuality, I missed it.<BR/><BR/>M - Oh thank you! Epilepsy explains everything. (And yes, a pencil.) <BR/><BR/>Ajnabi - I am too. I recommend this one, but I recommend <I>Householder</I> and, most of all and most urgently, <I>Shakespeare-Wallah</I>, as you can tell by my constant references to it. If you ever want to talk MI, you know where to find me. :)<BR/><BR/>Shweta - Zakir's character is cute, and I agree that his attraction to Anne is not explained well. Or maybe I'm just too dense to pick up on a subtle framing of it? Ditto re: Shashi! He really isn't. See <A HREF="http://www.docbollywood.com/2008/07/shashi-kapoor-overlooked-but-never.html" REL="nofollow">Sanket's post on this very topic</A>.Beth Loves Bollywoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05540154833326987567noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post-51206359790356792842008-07-28T13:06:00.000-05:002008-07-28T13:06:00.000-05:00I saw it a long time ago as well, and while I wasn...I saw it a long time ago as well, and while I wasnt convinced by Zakir's character, I thought he was amazingly cute! And Shashi was SUCH a revelation as a somewaht dissipated ruler- I swear that man isnt appreciated enough.Shweta Mehrotra Gahlawathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13543438271055378809noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post-28142670297435524042008-07-28T12:41:00.000-05:002008-07-28T12:41:00.000-05:00Why have I never seen this movie? I'm usually a to...Why have I never seen this movie? I'm usually a total panting fangirl for MI stuff. Hmmm.ajnabihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08296593338690811213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post-74945595398557193542008-07-28T09:07:00.000-05:002008-07-28T09:07:00.000-05:00Hi Beth,The wife Ritu has epilepsy. Which is why y...Hi Beth,<BR/><BR/>The wife Ritu has epilepsy. Which is why you will see her family trying to restrain her by putting something in her mouth (I think it was either some keys or a pencil, I can't recall).<BR/><BR/>Many myths swirl epilepsy in India, most common of them being that if you give metal keys or iron rods to a person having a seizure, they will be cured. Not so prevalent now, but would certainly have been at the time the movie is set in.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16658615206605050938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post-15902364435822047842008-07-28T02:34:00.000-05:002008-07-28T02:34:00.000-05:00I saw this a loooooong time ago. I have the book ...I saw this a loooooong time ago. I have the book on my bookshelf, and the movie (VHS) in my collection. I don't really want to see it again, because it was a little wrenching. And Shashi's character just seemed self-absorbed/weak/opportunistic but with his natural sweetness coming through. In those scenes with Harry, I really got a sense of affection. Not sure if it was acted on by either party, but I wonder if there were shades of Merchant-Ivory's own story going on there? <BR/><BR/>The fire and chicken scene made me think that Ritu was overly sexual (for the times) and the husband (and the family) didn't know what to do with her and was trying to drive away the demons. Madonna-whore, but husband can't handle the whore. Maybe I'm way off base there...just my gut feeling...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post-50092569112637729892008-07-28T01:43:00.000-05:002008-07-28T01:43:00.000-05:00I saw this one years ago and my memory is a bit va...I saw this one years ago and my memory is a bit vague as the movie didnt make a positive impact. Remember thinking that the Olivia arc of the film is quite interesting inspite of the nawab's visible triumph at having sired a baby with a 'white' woman. The modern part of the story however, struck me as quite inexplicable - doesnt Anne go to a practitioner of traditional medicine to have an abortion in the same way that her great aunt did? Why? Do not remember the chicken-cure part but that sounds straight out of rural, uneducated, or 20s educated, urban India and not typical of an educated family in 80s urban India.<BR/><BR/>In all their Indian movies I've seen so far, I think MerchIv struck the right notes only in <I>Shakespeare Wallah</I> and to some extent in <I>The Householder</I> (have yet to see <I>In Custody</I>). I should probably re-watch this before making up my mind to dislike it but watching most of their movies is too much like hard-work (inspite of Shashi)!Bollyviewerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17270927806254662068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post-29106482363321586512008-07-27T21:44:00.000-05:002008-07-27T21:44:00.000-05:00*revives*Ahh, this is perhaps the only MerchIv fil...*revives*<BR/><BR/>Ahh, this is perhaps the only MerchIv film that I've been very keen to see - maybe because it's an explicit look at colonialism from some accused Orientalists. Let's not beat around the bush, eh! <BR/><BR/>Hanging out with the Nawab instead of the other memsaabs? Understandable. I love 80s Shashi, he's the new Radiohead.a ppcc representativehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03533616493105736109noreply@blogger.com