Review of A Passage to India (1984) by Monsieur R — 18 Feb 2011

A beautifully shot film which garnered many awards, it is still to me a slow paced film of wealth and poverty in India. Director Lean (Lawrence of Arabia) made this last film of his after 14 years away from the business.

Our British visitors, two women, come to India and encounter culture shock. The rebellion in India against the British occupation of their country is portrayed sublimely. Usually there are constant, hand waiving natives greeting the British everywhere they go.

This film is not sublime as it shows the vast poverty of India versus the wealth of the British. There is a romance plot here where our lead actress feels neglected by her fiancee, a judge in India.

I can't say I was overwhelmed with interest in watching this very well made and shot film. It is the exact opposite of so many made for TV films and similar Hollywood movies that it is difficult to abandon the movie. It is a near epic film and while rather boring to me, could be great for others.

Human interest/romantic drama set in the 1920's India unrest with the colonial British.

NOTES about the film:

1 This was the final film of Lean's career, and the first he had made in 14 years.

2 Alec Guinness discovered much of his performance was left on the cutting room floor due to time constraints, he took it as a personal affront. Guinness would not speak to Lean for years afterwards, only patching things up in the last years of Lean's life.

3 Director Lean visited the real Barabar caves during pre-production but found them unphotogenic; concerns about bandits were also prevalent. Instead he used two separate hills a few miles from Bangalore, where much of the principal filming occurred, and the caves themselves were created by the production company.

4 Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times observed, "Forster's novel is one of the literary landmarks of this century, and now David Lean has made it into one of the greatest screen adaptations I have ever seen...".

Cast.

Judy Davis as Adela Quested.

Victor Banerjee as Dr. Aziz Ahmed.

Dame Peggy Ashcroft as Mrs. Moore.

James Fox as Richard Fielding.

Alec Guinness as Professor Godbole.

Nigel Havers as Ronny Heaslop.

Michael Culver as Major McBryde.

Directed by David Lean.

Produced by John Brabourne.

Richard B. Goodwin.

Written by David Lean.

Based on the novel by E.M. Forster.

Awards and nominations:

Academy Award for Best Picture (nominee).

Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress (Peggy Ashcroft, winner).

Academy Award for Best Original Score (Maurice Jarre, winner).

Academy Award for Best Director (David Lean, nominee).

Academy Award for Best Actress (Judy Davis, nominee).

Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay (David Lean, nominee).

Academy Award for Best Art Direction (John Box and Hugh Scaife, nominees).

Academy Award for Best Cinematography (Ernest Day, nominee).

Academy Award for Best Costume Design (Judy Moorcroft, nominee).

Academy Award for Best Film Editing (David Lean, nominee).

Academy Award for Best Sound (Graham V. Hartstone, Nicolas Le Messurier, Michael A. Carter, and John W. Mitchell, nominees).

Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Film (winner).

Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture (Peggy Ashcroft, winner).

Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score (Maurice Jarre, winner).

Golden Globe Award for Best Director (David Lean, nominee).

Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay (David Lean, nominee).

BAFTA Award for Best Film (nominee).

BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role (Peggy Ashcroft, winner).

BAFTA Award for Best Actor (Victor Banerjee, nominee).

BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role (James Fox, nominee).

BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay (David Lean, nominee).

BAFTA Award for Best Cinematography (Ernest Day, nominee).

BAFTA Award for Best Costume Design (Judy Moorcroft, nominee).

BAFTA Award for Best Production Design (John Box, nominee).

BAFTA Award for Best Film Music (Maurice Jarre, nominee).

Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress (Judy Davis, winner).

Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress (Peggy Ashcroft, winner).

Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing - Feature Film (David Lean, nominee).

Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Actor (Victor Banerjee, winner).

Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Film (winner).

Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Director (David Lean, winner).

Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress (Peggy Ashcroft, winner).

Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress (Peggy Ashcroft, winner).

National Board of Review Award for Best Picture (winner).

National Board of Review Award for Best Actor (Victor Banerjee, winner).

National Board of Review Award for Best Actress (Peggy Ashcroft, winner).

National Board of Review Award for Best Director (David Lean, winner).

New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Film (winner).

New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress (Peggy Ashcroft, winner).

New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Director (David Lean, winner).

Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay (David Lean, nominee).

Music by Maurice Jarre.

Cinematography Ernest Day.

Editing by David Lean.

Running time 163 minutes.

Gross revenue $27,187,653 (US).