Review of A Passage to India (1984) by Uditha D — 28 Nov 2011

I really liked A Passage to India, David Lean's epic finale. What captivated me most about it was how accurately it chartered the change of mood from the first half to the second. In the first half, things are buoyant; there is a sense of animosity between the British and the Indians alright, but in a calm manner.

In the second half, however, all is chaos, and nowhere is this more evident than in the change of characters. After Aziz's "rape" of Adela Quested, Peggy Ashcroft brilliantly transits her Mrs Moore from a woman of optimistic joy to one of bitter cynicism.

All the Englishmen disgustingly jump into despicable setups as they exploit Adela as a prop against the Indians. The brilliantly filmed coutroom scene is the apex of this tension; things will never be the same again after that.

Mrs. Moore dies, Ronny Heaslop is ruined, Adela returns to India, and Dr. Aziz suddenly becomes complacently nationalistic. David Lean follows all this accurately and with artistic depth; in fact the only two characters who never really change are Professor Godbole (played somewhat convincingly by Alec Guinness) and of course Richard Fielding (played suavely by James Fox).

To reveal all would mean too much detail, so I will just say that although the removal of the original ending of the novel might have detracted certain viewers, I practically find it more subtle and humanistic as a message of reconciliation and humanism.

After all, wasn't that E. M. Forster's original intention?The Maurice Jarre score was also good, and one can at once guess at the meaning behind the "Adela Theme" - a theme that evokes chaos and confusion, which utimately is endowed in the character of Judy Davis' brilliant portrayal of Adela Quested.

Overall I would say that A Passage to India is a fitting ending to the great director's film career, especially one as luminous as his. Everything - except perhaps the length of its duration, which I felt was slightly too long - has been beautifully tuned by him, and hence I would rate it 4 out of 5 stars.