Review of A Passage to India (1984) by David B — 25 Sep 2008

All the essential elements of a classic David Lean epic are here (sweeping vistas, fine acting, rousing score, solid storytelling, Alec Guinness in ethnic make-up hamming it up, etc.). The only thing missing is that intangible element found in so much of his work: film magic.

Some of it may due to a muddled character arc for Miss Quested. Ultimately, we never understand her reasoning or more importantly her feelings about the whole experience.

I guess, it's probably unfair to compare this to Lean's other masterpieces. It's still a very good film.

Is it such a damning critique to say that this isn't one of the greatest films of all time? When you're discussing David Lean's work, maybe it is. Still, "very good" is much better than most filmmakers best.