EARTH (1998)
Rating: 3.5 stars (out of 4.0) ******************************** Key to rating system: 2.0 stars - Debatable 2.5 stars - Some people may like it 3.0 stars - I liked it 3.5 stars - I am biased in favor of the movie 4.0 stars - I felt the movie's impact personally or it stood out ********************************* A Movie Review by David Sunga
Directed by: Deepa Mehta
Written by: Deepa Mehta, based on the book CRACKING INDIA by Bapsi Sidhwa
Starring: Maaia Sethna, Nandita Das, Aamir Khan, Rahul Khanna
Synopsis: EARTH is a coming of age story and a love story set in 1947, in India, just as the British colonialists are about to pull out and divide the greater territory of India into mostly Muslim Pakistan and mostly Hindu India. The story is seen through the eyes of Lenny (Maaia Sethna), a pampered, 8-year old rich girl who initially has no idea what is happening. Lenny follows around her beautiful nanny Shanta (Nandita Das), who is being wooed by a group of male friends and suitors of differing religions and ethnicities, since their city is initially a multicultural mosaic of Hindus, Muslims, Parsees, and Sikhs.
The upcoming partition of the territory gives rise to a creeping ethnic tension, and soon the good-natured ribbing of the past gives way to overpowering forces of chaos and strife. Through it all, Lenny sticks by Shanta, who comes to symbolize colonial India itself: torn by competing lovers and visions, lusted after by good men and evil men alike.
Opinion: You've seen epic-type love stories: LAST OF THE MOHICANS; TITANIC; WEST SIDE STORY; et cetera. EARTH is one of the better ones. On the minus side, the deliberate plate-breaking scene seems a little precocious for an 8-year-old kid (to be metaphorically pondering separatist movements), and maybe 10 minutes of extra scenery can be edited. But there are a heck of a lot more positives.
Canadian/Indian director Deepa Mehta does a brilliant job resurrecting the look and the inflamed passions of 1947. EARTH is visually spectacular and haunting, with good music, scenery and acting. Its themes of true love, chaos, and racial strife resonate as strongly today in 1999 as they do in the movie setting of 50 years ago. EARTH the kind of movie you see, think about, and see again, because it's an excellent love story and because there are no easy answers.
One theme of EARTH is the idea of multiculturalism as a personal, moral decision. As an example, these days it's considered okay to encourage people to prepare for high tech culture: i.e. to study English, math, and computers, and get rewarded with big money scholarships and high-paying jobs. There are people who prefer alternate culture in the form of low tech lifestyles and hobbies, but it's unethical to persecute them. We no longer stomp to their doors carrying torches and hatchets, to hustle them to draconian internment camps and relocation centers, imprison their leaders for "reeducation," torture their spokesmen, rape their women, burn or confiscate their homes, or declare them enemies of national unity until they conform to high tech culture. 1947 or 1999, no matter what country we live in or how it is partitioned, we all have a moral choice whether to live together and actively encourage common culture and standards yet tolerate multiculture (majority rule, minority rights); or, on the other hand, to create a common culture through the ruthless and deliberate extermination of rival culture on our turf, i.e. through ethnic cleansing, genocide, intimidation, and repression.
Does passionate, individual true love conquer all, or do big, epic forces get in the way? See the movie. Then get the video and watch it back to back with SAVING PRIVATE RYAN. Powerful film, recalling a powerful and relevant era enable us to openly discuss human nature and hopefully avoid repeating mistakes of the past.
Reviewed by David Sunga September 20, 1999
Copyright © 1999 by David Sunga This review and others like it can be found at THE CRITIC ZOO: http://www.criticzoo.com email: zookeeper@criticzoo.com
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