FIRE
A Film Review by James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 8.0 Alternative Scale: ***1/2 out of ****
Canada, 1996 U.S. Release Date: variable (beginning 9/97) (limited) Running Length: 1:44 MPAA Classification: No MPAA Rating (Sex, mature themes) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Cast: Shabana Azmi, Nandita Das, Kulbushan Kharbanda, Jaaved Jaaferi Director: Deepa Mehta Producers: Bobby Bedi, Deepa Mehta Screenplay: Deepa Mehta Cinematography: Giles Nuttgens Music: A.R. Rahman U.S. Distributor: Zeitgeist Films
On one hand are duties, obligations, and traditions. On the other are needs, desires, and freedom. Wars between these two antagonistic camps have been fought through the ages across many societies. The battleground in Deepa Mehta's FIRE is modern-day New Delhi, where the role of the woman in being re-defined. No longer do wives submit without question to the whims of their husbands, and this shift is causing tremors throughout the entire Indian culture. FIRE shows the causes and effects of one such tiny reverberation.
Sita (Nandita Das) is a romantic, and that is her undoing. When marrying the handsome Jalin (Jaaved Jaaferi), she envisions a bright future, but instead finds a barren wasteland. Her new husband has no interest in her. His desire is for his Chinese mistress; his marriage to Sita serves one purpose: to placate his family, who want him to have children. Sita is not the only lonely woman in the household, however. Her sister-in-law, Radha (Shabana Azmi), is married to Jalin's older brother, Ashok (Kulbushan Kharbanda) – a man whose religious fanaticism has caused him to take a vow of celibacy. Duty, not love, is what he demands from his wife. In this environment, it is only natural that Sita and Radha become fast friends, and, in time, much more than that. But their love is not without its share of painful obstacles. As Sita states, "In our language, no word exists for what we are to each other."
FIRE is less a story of lesbian love than it is a statement of female emancipation. This is the tale of two vital, beautiful women breaking their cultural obstacles and being reborn through the passion they express for each other. Their relationship is forbidden, but it by giving into their feelings that they find the strength to defy their husbands and turn their backs on tradition.
Nevertheless, the film would not be as successful if the romance didn't work on an emotional level. Mehta has created a pair of memorable characters who are easy to empathize with, and who gratifyingly are never transformed from flesh-and-blood individuals into mere symbols. It also helps that the roles are acted with feeling and ability. Both of the female leads, Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das, are capable performers who develop a genuine rapport with each other. Kulbushan Kharbanda is excellent at playing a pompous icon of self- righteousness and Jaaved Jaaferi is equally detestable as the philandering newlywed.
In addition to being emotionally and intellectually satisfying, FIRE is a treat for the eyes. Mehta and cinematographer Giles Nuttgens have crafted a beautiful-looking film, rich with bright colors and silhouetted eroticism. The sex scenes are photographed discreetly (only one breast is briefly glimpsed) with an eye for sensuality. Mehta's approach to this aspect of the movie is indicative of the care and effort that she has invested in the entire production.
Copyright 1997 James Berardinelli
- James Berardinelli e-mail: berardin@mail.cybernex.net
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- Jean-Luc Godard
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