- Actors: Pierce Brosnan, Saeed Jaffrey, Shashi Kapoor, Helena Michell, Keith Michell
- Directors: Nicholas Meyer
- Writers: John Masters, Michael Hirst
- Producers: Ismail Merchant, Leon Falk, Michael White, Tim Van Rellim
- Classification: 15
- Studio: Mia
- VHS Release Date: 24 Jan 2000
- Run Time: 102 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B00004CIOD
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 5,586 in Video (See Top 100 in Video)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
This is an interesting exploration of the Thuggee cult of India, as it existed in the mid nineteenth century. Members of this cult worshipped the goddess, Kali, and were called "Thugs". Known to each other through secret phrases and rituals, the Thugs, who were an organized group of professional robbers, had a most interesting modus operandi. They would kill innocent travelers by garroting them with a weighted scarf, relieve them of their worldly goods, and then bury them so that they would seem to have vanished off the face of the earth. During their existence, members of the Thuggee cult were estimated to have killed over two million people, before being wiped out by the British, with the cooperation of the existing Indian government of that time.
This film, based upon a book of the same name by John Masters, explores this ancient, secret society. It features Pierce Brosnan as a British officer, William Savage, who comes upon this cult in action. He further investigates, but his efforts prove futile, until he manages to infiltrate this cult, disguised as a native of India. He does this with the aid of a Thug, who believes that the goddess Kali has turned her back on him.
As the film progresses, Gophal, as William Savage now calls himself, becomes enmeshed in the activities of the cult. So great is his involvement, that he is in danger of losing himself to its tenets. It is as if he were undergoing a personal psychosis. It is not until his Thug informant realizes what is happening to him and tries to assist him, resulting in British troops coming to the rescue, that Gophal/William snaps out of his role playing. It is William's infiltration of the Thuggee cult, however, that is the catalyst for subsequent action taken to wipe out this evil and murderous society.
This film, shot entirely in India, is well acted, for the most part. The only problem is Pierce Brosnan, who, in the lead role, is decidedly miscast, though he does a more than passable Indian accent. He is simply not a good fit for the role. Nonetheless, this is still an intriguing film that deals with a little known, though fascinating, segment of Indian history and worth watching.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
Set in India, 1825, British district officer William Savage (Pierce Brosnan) discovers slaughtered victims in mass unmarked graves. This is the work of a secret cult - The Deceivers. He is torn between the loyalty to his company and young wife, he resolves to rib India of these barbaric practices. But his determination leads him into the heart of an alien, mythical world from which there is no escape. He too must become a deceiver. Can be boring at start but you get itno it when the bodies are descovered and then, everything starts moving quickly.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Ismail Merchant's take on the Thugs, his long-cherished dream project The Deceivers, is less successful than Hammer's notorious Stranglers of Bombay despite having more to work with. John Master's novel is a good yarn and Michael Hirst's script is excellent, but Pierce Brosnan isn't a strong enough lead as the Brit (appropriately named Savage) who disguises himself as an Indian to gather evidence on the Thugs only to find that he enjoys killing too much for the good of his soul (Christopher Reeve and Treat Williams were Merchant's first choices). Nor is Nicholas Meyer the right director - this needed a bolder widescreen treatment from an old-time sadist like John Guillermin to really catch fire. But it's still an interesting film that holds on the strength of its story, and when it does work, it works extremely well. The surprisingly bleak finale is a definite plus and quite beautifully handled.
Despite the fascinating story of the film's troubled production, the only extra is a trailer. You'll have to try to track down a copy of Hullabaloo in Old Jeypore, Merchant's slightly self-aggrandizing account of his myriad misfortunes during the controversial shoot the film in India - including the company finding themselves locked up at one point - and it's a worthwhile read, even if it should perhaps be subtitled `101 Reasons I'll Never Work With Tim Van Rellim Again.'
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A murderous cult, a brave British officer and a great travelogue in...
"But if Kali tells you to kill innocent men," says Captain William Savage, "surely she's an evil and wicked goddess. Read more
Published on 9 Nov 2007 by C. O. DeRiemer
A murderous cult, a brave British officer and a great travelogue in...
"But if Kali tells you to kill innocent men," says Captain William Savage, "surely she's an evil and wicked goddess. Read more
Published on 18 Jun 2007 by C. O. DeRiemer
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