The whole does not maintain the force of the sublime moments it contains, but oh! those moments! To name some: Vyjayanthimala pulling the arrow from Sunil Dutt's shoulder (surely one of the greatest sex-that-isn't-sex scenes of all time). ALL of the musical numbers but especially Amrapali's self-immolating dance after the soldier's betrayal (after this, the threat of actual execution by fire is a pale echo). And, most of all, the transcendent ending. It's unbelievable to me that this film basically ended Vyjayanthimala's career. She's wonderful (as always).
Favorite films
Recent activity
AllRecent reviews
MorePopular reviews
More-
Girlfriends 1978
I was having a really shitty day yesterday and part of it was feeling weighed down with how, as a woman in a misogynistic society, you constantly have to deal with the fact that the cultural artifacts and institutions you love don't love you back, and in fact probably hate you. This isn't new or anything but every so often you reach a breaking point and I was there last night. So, I decided to watch this film and found…
-
Love & Friendship 2016
This was really fun - just a delightful adaptation of Lady Susan. Allow me to put on my 18th-centuryist hat, however, and vent some spleen. There's a real sense I got, from the press coverage of this movie, of building this up as a different - and not just different, BETTER - Jane Austen movie. The Telegraph: "Love & Friendship shows just how funny Jane Austen can be" (bitch, I already knew, and you would have too if you'd been paying…
