- Actors: Aamir Khan, Nandita Das, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Babby Singh, Kitu Gidwani
- Language English, Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu
- Classification: 15
- Studio: Fox World Cinema
- VHS Release Date: 29 Jan 2001
- Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B000056X3A
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 26,017 in Video (See Top 100 in Video)
|
||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
Product details |
Product Description
Time Out
A powerful and impressive drama.
From the Back Cover
Set against the background of the 1947 partition of India and Pakistan, this funny, poignant and charming film examines epic social upheaval and the remarkably affecting human tale that shone through it all.
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organise and find favourite items. |
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Earth is based on the semi-autobiographical novel "Cracking Earth", by Bapsi Sidhwa. Little Lenny-Baby is the focus of the film and is narrated through her experience. The background is the division of India in 1947 which saw the biggest movement of people in history - 5 million criss-crossed the Indian sub-continent.
A group of young friends who are Muslims, Sikhs or Hindus regularly spend time together in a park with banter, but all are drawn by Shanta's beauty. In the film we are witnessing this harmony slowly unravel, with each of the friends standing symbolically for their people, descending into terror and murder. Each group sees their people being murdered and the divisions among the friends grow - to the last betrayal, made innocently by Lenny.
Excellent acting, underscored with a beautiful soundtrack, it nevertheless turns into a deeply upsetting - yet beatiful film. An absolute 'must see' for all who are interested not only in the legacy of the British empire but who love India, its customs and people.
A group of young friends who are Muslims, Sikhs or Hindus regularly spend time together in a park with banter, but all are drawn by Shanta's beauty. In the film we are witnessing this harmony slowly unravel, with each of the friends standing symbolically for their people, descending into terror and murder. Each group sees their people being murdered and the divisions among the friends grow - to the last betrayal, made innocently by Lenny.
Excellent acting, underscored with a beautiful soundtrack, it nevertheless turns into a deeply upsetting - yet beatiful film. An absolute 'must see' for all who are interested not only in the legacy of the British empire but who love India, its customs and people.
60 of 62 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I have just watched EARTH and I am quite simply shattered. I had been trying to get hold of the film for quite a while and of course I was somewhat afraid it might not be up to my expectations - it has exceeded them by far. It just is one of the best films I have seen in a long time. But be warned - it is by no means a Bollywood film or what has come to be understood by the term. The action takes place in Lahore, august 1947, and shows the cruel aspects of the Partition - the old, old story of politics suddenly turning friends into deadly enemies: Hindus turn against Muslims, Muslims turn against Hindus and in the midst of it there is an eight-year-old girl who watches it all and understands nothing - but still she experiences extreme sadness and suffering that will change her life forever. One of the most heartrending scenes is the one where she re-enacts one of the cruel scenes she has witnessed. Don't get me wrong - the atrocities are hinted at rather than explicitly shown; they are mostly in the head (they always are the worst kind, of course, because you can't shake them off - especially as you know they really did happen - and are still happening). The action centres around the girl and her nanny and her group of friends, of different religions and different social backgrounds. It all starts pleasantly and even funnily enough - but given the historical background you just know that the characters' destinies are spiralling to an unavoidably tragic climax where love turns into hate and trust is unforgivably betrayed. There is no happy ending, there just can't be - worse even, there is not even a glimpse of hope left one of the persons involved might have survived emotionally if bodily. The actors are all of them beyond par and Aamir Kahn is second to none - Hollywood, Bollywood or whatever. To my mind there are few actors if any who can bring great emotions across by this minimalistic means. This film will leave you drained but it is worth every minute of it.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
If you're reasonable interested in the development of India/Pakistan in a civilised way you should see this.
I saw this film as someone who does not like Bollywood fare and was surprised to find that on every level: (Technical-lighting, music,Artistic style, Intelligent intent, Historical content and acting..... Any more? - You name them!)Some Indians are making movies that are better anything Hollywood turns out. It's basically about how the motions of vast religious (read political) machinations during partition bring about a degeneration in a group of friends of all religious background.
There is an especially telling little kernel at the heart of the story when Aamir Khan (excellent as ever) tells the girl he loves about how, if he does not marry someone from the opposed religion to temper his mind, he is afraid of the beast within himself that may be unleashed with the insane goings on around him.
Brave enough to show Nehru (hagiographed in all other things that I've seen) as a distant, Upper-class and very English radio voice, far removed from the little people that political egos crushed in the mayhem....The only short coming I found was not mentioning the culprits responsible for setting up the worst atrocity of the 20th century....And watch out for an especially haunting ending.
Warning: don't lend this video to any narrow minded bigots/fundamentals of any persuasion - they may damage the tape so it can't be seen again.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Earth and Water - Deepa Mehta's 2 out of 3
I saw FIRE - the first of Deepa Mehta's trilogy - years ago at a women's cultural festival, sitting next to its wonderful star, Shabana Asmi, & talking to her afterwards. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Frances
A heart rending story of partition
This is the second of Deepa Metha's excellent trilogy, and I think it is perhaps the most heart rending. Read more
Published on 28 Mar 2010 by Jennifer Malsingh
One of the best Indian movies ever made. A must watch!
Make sure you watch this movie. This is as close as it gets to the truth as to what happened in Pakistan and India before Partition.
Published on 26 Feb 2010 by Bobby Bangher
Not the film I thought it would be...
I made the mistake of judging this DVD by its cover. I was misled into expecting, mainly, a love story. Read more
Published on 25 May 2009 by Rob
the indian holocaust from the eyes of a child
This infernal vision of the bloody and visceral massacres that took place in Punjab during the hot and humid monsoon of 1947 is an indictment of cruelty man to man ,that it is... Read more
Published on 20 July 2008 by usman
Must See Film ABout Partition
I saw this movie after reading the excellent reviews in the newspapers and didn't regret one bit of it! Read more
Published on 16 Dec 2007 by Jay
A First Class Film
This film is about the partition of India and the terrible tragedies that surround it. It is seen through the eyes of Lenny-baby,a young parsee girl who because of her lack of... Read more
Published on 8 Aug 2007 by Dichon
A Must-See
Another outstanding film from the Aamir Khan-Deepa Mehta stable. This is simply one of the best films of the decade and should be compulsory viewing on every social science... Read more
Published on 17 Jun 2007 by AG Stephenson
Another raw element
"Earth" is a totally different movie to "Fire" but just as controversial. While "Fire" touches on forbidden relationships and the dominance of men, "Earth" explores religion, an... Read more
Published on 6 Jan 2005 by Amanda Richards
Will leave you literally breathless
A couple of years ago, I did a night class in Indian arthouse cinema. Unusual topic for an Irish girl, but I love Bollywood movies, and I wanted to learn more about the independent... Read more
Published on 14 May 2004
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Search Customer Discussions
|
![[Start the discussion]](http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/02/x-locale/communities/discussion_boards/start-new-discussion-sec._V192198663_.gif){kind=small}
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
