Review of Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (2001) by Michael M — 14 Jul 2007

This has much more substance than most other Bollywood films.

Kind of unrrealistic (as with all Bollywood films) as peasants facing that situation in real life would not have truly had the courage or where-with-all to challenge the government like that or to even understand the true extent of the power of the White sahibs behind that of the Raja. In those days, the common people would often times be so divorced from current events that they would have no idea what would be going on in the courts and would just assume some power above would handle everything in the end. Many times they'd even be impressed by the "grandeur" the British put on during their administration, best illustrated by how the three kids of Goli go out to watch the march of the soldiers. Another tragic aspect of Indian life under the harsh and unjust rule of the British Raj.

That's not why I gave it four instead of five.

I simply was not completely satisfied by the end where on the verge of losing they got a simple reprieve out of the sheer lucky fact that Yardley had stepped across the line. The victory of the villagers should have been written more carefully and convincingly by the screenwriters.

I also felt the character of Elizabeth was somewhat underappreciated by the villagers as she was the one who taught them all that was necessary to even stand a chance against the cantonment team. It just seemed like they gave her a quick glance of "we'll never forget what you did for us" and a few hugs from the two women, rather than something more illustrative of complete gratitude. I don't believe in sucking up to British overlords and treating them as superior but in all fairness she was the one who made their victory possible. Without her, they would have still been playing a form of Gili Danda modified by what they observed on the cricket field.

But overall a very well made film.