Customer Reviews

Ashoka the Great

5 star:		(45)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

** SPOILERS AHEAD **

If you don't want plot details revealed to you, stop reading NOW! My apologies to any Evelyn Wood Speed-Readers, whose training no doubt kicked in and they already read the rest of this review in a blink.

In case you don't know (I admit - I had to look it up), the term "bollywood" is a nickname for Bombay India, where they produce over 600 films a year - a number that puts the real Hollywood to shame.

For some reason, reviewers on amazon.com always seem to be much more generous than other sites that have user-submitted reviews. On other sites, like MouthShut and Epinions, most of the reviews on Asoka are generally far less than favorable. Most of these negative reviews complain about historical inaccuracies.

For example: 200 BC predates indigo dye, so everyone in that period should have been wearing some shade of brown. Bindusara had many wives and fathered over 100 sons. There is absolutely no evidence that Asoka murdered his brothers, in fact there is evidence that many of his step brothers were generals in his battle campaigns. There was no Princess Kaurwati and he never married her. Yada. Yada. Yada.

Some people were even offended by this film, saying that it is blasphemy to suggest that the great Asokas' turning point was due to sorrow over the death of Ayra and the lust for a Kaurwati instead of the disgust over the senseless violence.

Well, sorry people, but if I wanted to see a movie where everyone wore drabby looking outfits, but is historically accurate, I'd go to the history channel. This movie IS NOT a documentary. Artistic license flows free!

With that said, I'll now clue you in on my REAL gripes about this film. The DVD cover depicts Asoka with an army of extras riding on horseback to battle. This image is obviously there to get guys to rent this movie. But, in actuality, that scene encompasses only about 4% of the entire movie. The other 96% is, more or less, a love story.

Which brings me to the actual story... I thought that the story itself was fair to good, and the dance numbers took me by surprise. But, in time, I came to appreciate them if only for the breaks they provided in this emotional rollercoaster of a film. The touches of humor in slow paced parts of the movie helped keep it flowing, but the second half of the movie seemed like a completely different movie from the first half. The overall tone was more forboding and there were fewer song/dance numbers.

They used a very low bit-rate when they mastered the film for DVD. This was so they could fit the entire 170 minutes (although the cover of the DVD claimed it was only 150 minutes long - an error that simply reflects poor quality) on a single layer DVD. The result is VHS quality video. They would have been better off presenting the DVD in 2.35:1 instead of 16:9, where the extra black space, that compresses to zero bytes with VBR, would allow a higher bit rate and better overall quality and still be single layer. This would have also fixed a problem where text is truncated on both sides of the screen. Another visual problem that could have been easily fixed was white subtitles over white portions of video were unreadable. They should have used an outline font. I also did not like the way they divided the chapters on the DVD. They divided the chapters by the beginning of each song/dance number instead of time based, so jumping to a scene does not work as expected. This is used by the special features that let you jump to the songs, but the movie keeps playing after the song is through. They could have easily mastered the DVD in such a way that each song had its own chapter, with other chapters based on time.

I have seen quite a bit of Indian film but none like this. This film was so different from the typical "Bollywood" cinema I was pleasantly take back by it. What was most impressive about the film was the role of Asoka. The character was portrayed with so much dimension and complexity that I felt every bit of his love, pain, loss, anger, and sorrow as I watched. The performance by Shahrukh Khan was amazing, as if he was born to play this role. The beautiful (and brave for the director didn't allow any makeup for the film's heroine, save the henna tatoos) Kaurwaki, portrayed by Kareena Kapoor reflected the female counter part to Asoka. The same intensity and raw passion showed her own journey through love, gain, and loss as Asoka.

On first sight, some viewers may be offended by the costumes worn by Kaurwaki (as it is a bit scant) but the actress carries it off well and with dignity making her fit in well with the historical setting of the piece.

The beauty and cinematic grandeur of the film was also fantastic to watch. I wish they would have put it in wide-screen however, as it cuts off a lot of the beauty of the landscape. The whole set is kept simple yet beautiful and mesmerizing, making it believable that such an emperor lived and existed at that particular time. The battle scenes were fantastic and one of the finest ever seen. It lacked the goriness of the Gladiator but it conveyed the devastation of war just as strongly.

I can go on forever with praises for the film, but I won't. Just buy it or rent it, it's worth it. The complexity of the story, the characters, and the richness of the set and cinematography puts this film on my A list. To top it off the music is beautiful and haunting, wonderfully choreographed, even if you're not into "musicals." The movie isn't a musical but it has the typical Indian film music numbers. The whole movie is pretty serious and conveys a strong message of love and peace, but subtlely so it's not so cliche.

Highly recommend it.

Asoka inspires mixed emotions. On the one hand, there are elements of pure beauty and love and then you have a contrast in the horrors of war. The cinematography is rich and awe-inspiring. I was literally mesmerized.

This is not a romance in the sense of peace and love, this is a tragic tale of two hearts looking for one another amidst a world of betrayal and deceit. Not to mention a lust for power. The plot is complex and there are elements of revenge, cruelty and battles on a large scale.

The intensity in the contrast is at times overwhelming. The action never seems to subside into a moment of peace. Either passion dances across the screen or horror and suspense surround the characters. The musical numbers give some relief from the intensity, yet they are also equally vibrant.

This legendary story is recorded in a second century book called the "Asokavadana." The movie is based loosely on the story and at the end there is the implication of the renunciation of war.

"Love wounds in a way that does not let you live or die."

It is emotional from the start and is dark in its lust for power and beautiful in its exotic swirling dance sequences. An almost mythological atmosphere pervades the film in places.

The story begins when Asoka's grandfather tosses his sword into a waterfall because the sword hungers for blood. As his grandfather leaves, Asoka searches for the sword and finds it.

When he is older his life is in danger. His mother, Dharma (Subhashini Ali), asks him to save his life by fleeing. After changing his name to Pawan, he meets Kaurwaki who is following a similar fate and is hiding out in the lush green countryside with her much younger brother Prince Arya.

Prince Asoka/Pawan (Shah Rukh Khan) and the feisty and sensuous Princess Kaurwaki (Kareena Kapoor) imagine they have met before and Asoka calls her "my warrior." So romantic!

The story then dives into a crystal pool of the most primal instincts. A man fighting for a woman, a warrior woman fighting for her land. Splashes of color spread out against a pastel blue sky. Swords become a part of the characters as they fight for their lives. There is a reward for finding Kaurwaki as she is the daughter of the king of Kalinga.

When Asoka tells Kaurwaki:

"I couldn't put a price on you. The earth doesn't have enough gold for that."

We know he is going to pay some terrible price for his love. They marry and just as soon as you think this story is going to move in a good direction, Asoka's mother calls him back and he is then sent off on a mission.

"What is this surge of love?
Do I drown to experience it?
Can you tell what it is?
Where could it lead?"

On his return, he is told that his true love is dead. Once convinced, his aggressive nature emerges. He has no reason to live and desires only death. This loss of love seems to make him lust for power as he has lost the influence of Kaurwaki's love. He then ascends the throne of Magadha in the 3rd century BC. When he decides to extend the borders of his empire, he wages a bloody war on Kalinga, a neighboring kingdom.

This review refers to a Widescreen edition. My only complaint was the extent of the violence in places and the subtitles were white and difficult to read at times. If you loved Lagaan, this movie is much more tragic.

The story of Asoka's journey from war to peace. A mingling of intense sensuality with the bitterness of war.

~The Rebecca Review

I saw this one on a whim, since at the time I knew nothing about Asoka and very little about Indian movies (Monsoon Wedding being the only exception). And I was blown away by this gorgeous and grim movie, so much so that I had to get my own copy.
It's not like anything else I've seen before. It managed to seamlessly blend a period epic (with battle scenes with an astounding number of extras), a sophisticated political intrigue, an utterly beautiful love story, a spiritual journey, and lush musical numbers.
Yes, musical numbers. If someone told me that an epic, and such a heart-breaking one, would also be a musical, I might have left it on the shelf. Glad I didn't, since the music actually fits wonderfully and doesn't detract but add to the emotion and beauty of the movie.
Overall, this movie has an utterly beautiful look: many, if not most of the frames, would make beautiful stills. But the thing that made me really sit up and take notice were the well-developed characters.
The actors are all good. I was especially enthralled by Shahrukh Khan's performance as Asoka. He can be both charming and utterly ruthless, equally convincing while telling a child a fairy tale, and participating in the slaughter of thousands. And the best are the final moments of the movie, when remorse kicks in. As a past reviewer said: just look at his anguished face. Apparently he is a big star in Bollywood, and if this movie is any indication, I can see why.
Everyone else is also very good, but I must single out Kareena Kappor. Her princess is certainly no damsel in distress, but is both utterly tough and utterly vulnerable at the same time. And very, very beautiful.
So, no doubt about Asoka's 5-star rating for me.
To end this review on a very random note: Never have I thought that teaching someone how to use a sword could ever be sexy. This movie manages.....

This is the best hindi movie i have seen for some time.Yes, even better than lagaan.The whole movie is beautifully made and you can see the effort the team has made to make this movie.Those who say that the movie is not historically correct are missing the whole point.if you want history you better watch the discovery channel.
The movie starts with the young prince, Asoka when he escapes from his own kingdom to please his mother who fears for his life from his evil brothers.He wanders around and meets a girl with whom he falls in love.The rest of the film is about his journey on the way to become one of the greatest known emperor of all times.
The movie is basically a love story and is very sensitively handled by the director.Especially the last scene where he gets transformed is enough to bring tears to the eyes.
Santosh Sivan has done tremendous work and he should be proud of it.Kareena Kapoor also has done a great job and by far the best thing she has done uptill now.But the star of the whole show is Shahrukh khan.Those who have earlier criticised his acting will now beat the dust.Along with Dil Se, this film should be a landmark in his career, which shows his growing up as an actor.The way in which he brings Asoka to life should make any actor feel proud.
At the end of the movie,the scene which will remain in my memory is Asoka standing,staring in the sky, rain washing away his tears.

A must watch for anyone who enjoys cinema in its richest sense!

Satosh Sivan(director): "I want audience to forget in the first 10 minutes that they are watching a period film. So we took elements from history and legends and wove a dramatic story that is PART fact, PART fiction. And rather than sticking to recital of dates and events , I have taken parallels from different lives and put flesh on the skeleton provided by the history of ASOKA.
All we know about Asoka is from the edicts that depict his administrative policies as Dhammasoka. So there is VERY LITTLE HISTORICAL KNOWLEDGE of the life of Asoka as a ruler and a warrior or even his personal life. So we had to develop the character from legends.
Actually, my story ends where historical evidence of Asoka starts to appear. My story ends on the Kalinga battlefield where Chandasoka transforms into Dhammasoka"

A blend of old-world atavism and crystal clear imagery, compounded with lush art direction and stirring music, Asoka is a haunting journey into the life of India's greatest emperor. The film is extremely stylish in its mix of Indian aesthetic and contemporary simplicity which reflects in the art direction by Sabu Cyril and pleasing costume design. The performances throughout the film are spot on with Shah Rukh Khan ruling the roost once again with his stupendous and sincere portrayal of Asoka, his myriad emotions and thoughts shining like a mirror in every frame. Kareena Kapoor as Kaurwaki makes a beautiful and sensuous princess, commanding the screen with a presence, that few of her contemporaries can rival. The highlight of the movie is of course the surreal envisioning of the Great War of Kalinga, which is breathtakingly choreographed with a scale that could stand in good stead with some Hollywood films. Technically, Asoka has few rivals. The cinematography is A-class and the editing crisp. Sivan's script is tightly woven with moments of passion and intrigue erupting at regular intervals keeping the viewer gripped. For all practical purposes Asoka is a winner, and comes through in style mesmerizing the audience with its spectacular visuals and searing their souls with its haunting portrayal of truth.

Are you up for something completely different, something the likes of which I guarantee you have never experienced before? A film that has the lush aura of Franco Zefferelli's Shakespearean films combined with the extavagent sets of Liz Taylor's CLEOPATRA mixed with the whimsy of Baz Luhrmann's MOULIN ROUGE? You say no such animal exists? Well my friend, you are wrong!

That film is ASOKA which stars the legendary Shah Rukh Khan who is undoubtedly the most worshipped romantic leading man in the world of cinema today--bar none. I was going to say that he was the most lusted after, which is probably true as well, but there is something about SRK, as he is known, that seems to evoke an even more powerful emotion in women than mere lust. He is Rudolph Valentino, Gene Kelly, and, when he needs to be, Douglas Fairbanks. He's all of those and more, he's an original. And he's a very important part of what makes this film work so well.

There is so very much in this film to like aside from Khan that I hardly no where to begin. The cast is all superb, especially his co-star the incredibly beautiful Kareena Kapoor who plays Asoka's love interest the Princess Kaurwaki, she couldn't be more believable as the woman for whom he would gladly give up a throne. The sets and costumes and sets are gorgeous and whether or not they are true to the time period couldn't concern me less since the director's approach to this film seems to be more that of a romantic fantasy that of an historical documentary.

That brings us to the one element that sets Bollywood pictures apart from Hollywood films, the musical numbers! (Remember I said SRK had a little Gene Kelly in him.) The fact that anyone can burst into song and dance for no apparent reason at any given moment is one of the things I like best about Bollywood movies. There is so much joy and exuberance in these numbers that sometimes I just want to get up and dance myself, but since I look nothing like those pretty girls with their bare midriffs I've managed to restrain myself, so far. I know what you're thinking, but really after you get accustomed to it the songs won't bother you at all. In fact you might even like them. They're sort of a combination of folk and pop, and they're very catchy. I've always liked "foreign" folk music so I fell right into it.

But what about the story, you say. The story is mostly fiction based on fact. There was a man named Asoka who became a brutal monarch and then renounced his throne to spread the word of Buddha. He is in fact credited with having transformed Buddhism from a second-rate sect into a major world religion by sending forth missionaries. His personal life and his rise to power which are the subjects of this film,are the stuff of myth and legend. But that's always where the best stories are.

The dvd begins with a crawl that fills us in a tiny bit on the importance of the the man in the story we are about to see which is very helpful for those of us without any background in Buddhism. And our story itself begins with Asoka's grandfather the Emperor Chandragupta Mauya giving away all his possessions to the people prior to embracing his new life as a Jainist monk. Asoka is just a young boy and doesn't understand his grandfather's choice, nor does he understand when his grandfather tries to stop Asoka from keeping his sword for himself. His grandfather tells him that the sword is a demon and that once it is drawn it sees neither friend nor foe it only thirsts for blood, and that he should throw it away before it can do anymore harm. Asoka refuses, so his grandfather grabs it from him and throws it in the river himself, then leaves on his journey with the other monks. If only Asoka had left the sword in the river, but he doesn't. If only he had not drawn it, but he does. If only he learned from that first bloody lesson, but he doesn't.

There is plenty more to Asoka's story, the film runs well over 2 and 1/2 hours, but in that time it manages to pack in adventure, romance, comedy, drama, one really good battle scene and a couple of small skirmishes, plus song and dance numbers that run the gamut from free wheeling fun, to sensual and exotic desire. My God, how much more do you want from your first Bollywood experience!

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING? FOR EVERY BLOCKBUSTERS HAS A COPY OF THIS MOVIE. GO RENT IT. Really.

Oh, there is one tiny negative. The subtitles aren't the easiest to read, but after awhile I found that I didn't really need to read them word for word in order to understand and enjoy this film.

CINEMATOGRAPHY: exquisitely evocative
COSTUMES: glorious colours, elegant simplicity. Loved those shawl-scarf things Shah Rukh wore - do you still call it a dupatta if a man wears it??
MUSIC: one of the highlights for me. In spite of having the CD, and seeing clips on MTV ~I was unprepared for the lush, sumptuous sound, and exciting picturisation.
I would have loved MORE of the innovative underwater scene in Roshni Se - full of grace and romance and playfulness.
JEWELLERY: wish they would manufacture a range of costume jewellery based on the Asoka designs!
OTHERS STARS: wholehearted participation, extremely effective, wellcast.
SANTOSH SIVAN: a visionary in an industry of mediocrity. (I wonder if he's met Francis Ford Coppola?) God bless you Mr Sivan, and thank you from the bottom of my heart.
ENDING: left me asking...then what?....then what? Much the same as young Arya asking Asoka to continue his story-telling. Leaves the door open for Asoka II? God willing! Are you listening Santoshji?
INTERVAL: could have been timed a bit better - I had tears streaming down my face when the lights came on!
THE BOOK ON THE MAKING: utterly stupendous...you gotta have it!

NEGATIVES: From a western perspective and sensibility, which is all I can give you, I could have done without the "three stooges", which however maybe an inherent part of Hindi movies. Also, I felt that young Arya took far too long to die! Call me insensitive, but it seemed that scene dragged a bit. And there were a few too many dismembered limbs lying around the battlescenes for my liking!

SHAH RUKH: his voice richer and huskier than ever, is an imposing vision - he IS Asoka incarnate: imperious, majestic, romantic, sensitive, playful, every move and emotion a portrait of Grace, Truth and Sincerity. Known for his legendary and unstoppable energy, Shah Rukh's moments of chilling stillness left me breathless at his versatility.

His intensity reminded me of Martin Sheen in Apocalypse Now, one of the highlights of Hollywood history, in its time. Martin at 35, was the same age in Apocalypse Now, as Shah Rukh in Asoka. Another highlight for me as Shah Rukh's sword-handling and one-on-one combat scenes - I could have watched that all day and all night.

After watching Hollywood-UK movies for over 45 years, I can honestly say this is THE BEST MOVIE I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE...till DEVDAS, which I also love for opposite reasons.

Asoka is one long seduction, a film so visually stunning as to leave me slack-jawed in amazement. The female lead is heartbreaking and tough at the same time, the male lead is occasionally stilted but overall very good. The music of this film (I cannot find the soundtrack anywhere) stuck in my head for days. The movie goes full-throttle wonderful until the end- a major bit of coitus interruptus, if I dare say so. It ends, leaving you stunned and wondering what the hell happened to Karwauki and Asoka, and what the results of his philosophical awakening were. This film cries out for a sequel, or at least another ten minutes showing us the rest of the story.

All in all, it's fabulous, but be prepared to get mad when the ending leaves you high and dry. It's more than worth the frustration for the first song alone.

This is a wonderful film, with fun upbeat chreography, a love story and a fairy tale that will introduce you to the the amazing talents of the one and only SRK! Shahrukh Khan is hands down the most famous and loved man in the world. I relaize that if you live in the USA, you sadly may have never heard of him, but untold millions adore him.

If you combined Mel Gibson, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, a rockin' Gene Kelly, and an occasional pinch of the young Jerry Lewis - you might get somewhat close to describing Shahrukh Khan, or SRK as they call him in India.

I first saw SRK in ASOKA, and then discovered DIL SE. After that I was captured. I found this man so appealing that I started watching any and all of his movies. The cultural gap made some almost incomprehensible to me; but with time & patience, the films broadened my awareness of a world where 60% of the marriages are still arranged - and my love for SRK grew

It took me awhile to get comfortable with Hindi popmusic and Bollywood dance numbers, but that really didn't matter because I could not take my eyes off Shahrukh Khan. He has that kind of star quality - when he's in the frame, you don't see anyone else. His energy and joie de vivre fill up the screen, and your heart.

I had never ever been one of those who fell for movies stars and I wondered what it was that drew me into his magic. One fine morning it hit me like a ray of light - SRK is holding the Love Frequency on the planet.

What is it that everyone dreams of, longs for, works for, lives and dies for? Love. We all want to be loved by our families, friends, lovers, and by God.

Shahrukh is living Love - it's in his eyes, in every gesture from his hands and body. Love radiates from the treasury of subtle expressions on his sometimes handsome, sometimes ordinary, always wonderful face. He is what every woman wants - the passionate man every guy knows he could be. Brave, crazy, hilarious, tender, vicious, vulnerable, SRK can express multiple layers of human emotion in one smile.

For me, Shahrukh Khan is the greatest living actor in the world today. No one can hold a candle to him, because he is not a manufactured product of tyranny. He is its antithesis - he is all feeling, Love.

No one can portray all the phases of Love better than SRK. Shahrukh, a Muslim, is happily married to a gorgeous Hindu lady in Mumbai (Bombay). They have two children and SRK, a man who gets up close to the most beautiful women in the world, is infamous for being an absolutely faithful, loving husband. He believes in love. He courted his wife for seven years before her parents would allow the marriage.

In film love scenes, SRK is somehow tantalizingly chaste, and thus all the more erotic. The powerful energies of a tender fire are always building, and never quite come to completion to find release. Even his kisses - which are mostly bestowed upon lovely shoulders, arms, and necks - are holding something back, some mystery that makes you want him to reveal more.

Introduce yourself to Shahrukh with Asoka and then move on. The list of his some 50+ films is naturally varied. Because of cultural differences and traditions, some may not be easily appreciated by the western mind.

If Shahrukh Khan never becomes well known here in the USA, it will be our enormous loss. He is the genius of joy and living imagination, the finest living actor in the world, and more importantly, a light in our dark unraveling times. This self-described (his words) "short man with dark skin" is a veritable giant among men - and happily for us, currently holds the Love frequency on the planet.

V.Susan Ferguson