Customer Reviews

FIRE

5 star:		(83)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

When I went to see this film at the cinema I was uncertain as to what I was letting myself in for. However I am glad that my friend persuaded me to give it a chance. This is a beautiful film, about a taboo subject in India, and it is handled magnificently by the director and cast alike. It follows the story of two sister-in-laws (Azmi and Das) who dare to fall in love with each other. Not only do they fall in love but they conspire to leave their inadequate husbands. Azmi is married to a man who is unable to consummate their marriage, and Das' husband is unfaithful to her, desiring his Chinese mistress over his chosen bride. Azmi and Das are living in an unforgiving world. The path they have chosen to follow is fraught with intolerance and danger and they have no allies save each other. As their relationship deepens so does the need for escape. This is not just an artsy movie, it is funny, sad and genuinely moving. It also has some darkly funny moments, watch the scene with the family servant, and the porno movies, it has to be seen to be believed. Leonard Maltin saw this film as a male bashing Lesbian chick flick, claiming that the male characters in the film were nothing more than "simplistic chauvinist pig[s]." It is obvious that Mr. Maltin has not lived in India where more often than not men rule and women obey and should you want to be different then God help you because no one else will. This film is ultimately about love, hope, redemption and purification; fire being a purifier and therefore when Azmi survives her husband's attempt to burn her to death she proves to the viewer that she is pure, and the Gods do not disapprove of her sexuality. This is a wonderful film, well acted and superbly directed. It's worth seeing especially now as you will be able to buy or rent it on DVD.

This is not your grandmother's old Rishi Kapoor or Hema Malini movie, where kissing was taboo, and romance was limited to making goo-goo eyes and performing elaborately choreographed dances in the mountains.

By Hollywood standards, this is an intriguing movie, where two women rebel against their traditional roles, and turn to each other for love, respect and sexual gratification.

By Bollywood standards however, this shocker has committed several major offenses, the least of which are the on-screen love scenes between two women. The issues that shocked the traditionalists to the bone are that firstly, the women are Hindus, secondly the movie challenges the very core of male dominance, and thirdly, that women have the right to be independent and happy in their marital relationships.

Radha (Shabana Azmi) is married to Ashok (Kulbhushan Kharbanda) and has been unable to fulfill his desire for a child. Ashok has been consulting a Swami, and in the belief that desire is the root of all evil, keeps her close to him without intimacy so that he will become a better person.

Sita (Nandita Das) is a young bride with a longing for love and adventure, married to Jatin (Javed Jaffrey) who is unwilling to provide her with either, because he is in love with someone else. Their marriage is a sham, as Jatin only married to please Ashok and his grandmother Biji.

As per custom, the whole extended family lives under one roof, and their unhappy marriages draw Sita and Radha together. Sita turns out to be the one who inspires the break with tradition, and finds a willing convert in Radha.

Director Deepa Mehta handles this controversial movie tastefully and tenderly, the romance balanced by traditional family values and the comedic activities of the servant Mundu (Ranjit Chowdhry, a Mehta regular). Shabana Azmi is perfect as the more mature woman, but Nandita Das sparkles as the enlightened abandoned bride.

My only regret is that the DVD version lacks subtitles, as even though the actors all speak English, their accents and Hindi references are sometimes difficult to catch.

A beautiful and powerful movie, but not your usual Bollywood fare.

Amanda Richards, December 27, 2004

I am a teenager that is used to watching over-hyped Hollywood flicks. But one day I took a chance and rented FIRE. I could feel the frustrations of the two women as they lived day to day in loveless marriages. The characters are trying to fulfill roles their culture expects of them. But they are torn between what they want and what they are expected to want. I was moved by the outstanding performances of Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das. It's incredible how the director, Deepa Mehta, was able to weave suck complex social issues into a genuine and sincere film that leaves a lasting impact on anyone fortunate enough to view it. I was surprised to see that the older brother would devote himself to a life of chastity simply because he could not have children of his own. I felt empathy for the younger brother when he was pressured to leave his Chinese girlfriend in order to enter into an arranged marriage with a young Indian woman. There are tragic consequences for the leading female characters as their desires offer them a chance at happiness. I loved every moment in this movie. Hopefully the issues in this movie will be discussed by the many who see it. It's thought provoking and will leave a lasting impression, even for those who oppose the controversial subject matter of lesbianism.

I saw this movie for the first time almost two years ago, it was a chance rental at my local big chain video store and what had caught my eye was the banner on the box which exclaimed "The film that has been BANNED in India!" I wondered to myself, what could be so controversial in this film that it would cause an entire country to ban its existense? I rented it and do you know what? It turned out that the threat was new ideas that challenged traditional culture and probably one of the greatest portrayals of female empowerment I have ever seen! This is NOT a male bashing lesbian film Mr. Maltin---and if you had looked a little harder you would have seen that the men in the film are trapped in tradition just as much as the women. This film is wonderful, beautiful, and a credit to Ms. Mehta and the women she dedicated it to! By the way, anyone who wants to know more about Deepa Mehta can find information at: http://www.zeitgeistfilm.com/current/fire/firedeepa.html

It haunted me. I could not get the movie out of my mind for days. The story, with its tension, passion, and, frankly, eroticism, was amazing. As an Indian woman raised in the U.S., exposed to Western cinema and its free exploration of controversial issues, I could not believe such a movie could be made by an Indian cast,(expatriot)Indian director, and heavily Indian crew. The acting and cinematography was mesmerizing. The radiant Shabana Azmi, a true legend, and the beautiful Nandita Das portray their characters with a genuineness and bravery not often seen and never surpassed. Their displays of love and longing were probably the most passionate I've seen in cinema- of any genre. Without a doubt, this is one of the finest, and probably the most thought-provoking, films made by anyone in India or her diaspora. I am proud such a film has finally been made; and hopeful it will let India finally confront the changes occuring in its society.

First of all I have to agree with the viewer from Ohio regarding Leonard Maltin's review of this film. The film very astoundingly captures the essence of life and stuggles among women in India and its surrounding countries. It's not hype and it's not fiction, it's the truth. Understandably, most westerners would find it difficult to relate to the reality of a culture which has traditionally allowed men to get away with such MCP attitudes. The portrayal of the characters, everyone from Azmi to the mute mother-in-law to the over-sexed servant boy, was astoundingly real. So much so that it made the movie that much more intense and vivid. I cannot recall watching a movie stemming from the east that was more truthful. Much kudos to Mehta for her excellent story-telling and wonderful insight not to mention courage in dealing with an issue that has been strictly taboo, and still is, in the Indian subcontinent. If only other Indian filmmakers would step up and make a statement as bold as Mehta's. I can't praise this movie enough, so in an effort to avoid any repetition, I end here. Thank you for such an mesmerizing and entertaining piece of work.

All too often when a film is billed as "controversial" and dealing with "taboo" subjects and (uh-oh) "lesbian love," it turns out to be just another soft porno exploitation flick for the amusement of male viewers. Now that is what I call ho-bloody-hum (ahem, Mr Maltin). This film is a blessed relief from that genre.

Although sexuality is openly portrayed and discussed in the film, intimacy between the two female protagonists is handled tastefully and without that nasty overtone of voyeuristic exploitation. Leonard Maltin, useful though his reviews are, has a history of getting really defensive (and dismissive) about films with any feminist content. If overbearing patriarchal authority is honestly and accurately portrayed, he's liable to diss the film as unfair to men. Notably he has very little to say about insulting or belittling roles for *female* actors!

I thought this was a good-hearted film, honestly challenging and critical of male privilege and selfishness, yet also extending compassion and dignity to its male as well as female characters. Even the nastiest person in the film (the unfortunate servant) is not treated with genuine contempt by the scriptwriter or director. Everyone gets his or her day in court; we feel a little sympathy with every character at least once or twice.

It's also a sensitive and poignant portrait of the cost of tradition, and the cost of defying tradition. The violence and controversy it sparked in the conservative Hindu state of Maharashtra are documented in the "extras"; more than anything else, the ability of this film to panic conservative forces, and thereby elicit mob violence, speaks to its power and lasting value as a challenge to institutions that (however benign they may seem on the surface) keep women down.

This 1996 film from India was written and directed by Deepa Mehta, not known to shy away from controversial themes. Here, she introduces the viewer to a beautifully photographed bustling city where an extended family live together and run a video store and restaurant. When the younger philandering brother marries in an arranged marriage and brings his bride to the household, we get to meet the family through the young woman's eyes. There's the bedridden elderly mother who cannot speak but uses a small bell to make her wants known. There's her husband's brother who has taken a vow of celibacy because his wife is infertile. And there's the male servant who indulges in his own kind of gratification.

The two sister-in-laws are unhappy. A forbidden romance between them ensues.

The entire theme is handled in an understated way and the romantic scenes between the women are clouded in shadow. There's a lot unsaid. And yet, the film is about a lot more than just these two women and their predicament. It is about the emerging role of women to make choices in a modern Indian society. It's about the deep conflicts between tradition and the reality of modern times.

The entire cast does an excellent job. I felt I was right there in that household. And the director even introduced some mysticism and epic poetry. It was a gentle film though, in spite of its bold theme. And that is what made it interesting.

The characters all spoke English, which made the film easy for me to watch. But, in spite of it being well done, I found it slow and boring in parts. There were few new plot developments to hold my interest, just an elaboration of the same theme. It was only 104 minutes long but was too long to me.

If Indian films are new to you, this might be a good introduction. It really brings the viewer right inside the experience of having to deal with forbidden love in contemporary India.

"Fire" is a movie that is unfortunately known more for the firestorm (pardon the pun) of controversy surrounding the themes of the movie than it is for its delicate and passionate story.

Sita and Radha are sisters-in-law bound by the strict rules of tradition and what it means being a wife. Together they find themselves trapped in loveless, empty marriages and therefore find they share many common grounds, such as the need to feel and express desire, the necessity of breaking with tradition to experience the freedom of both self-expression and Self, and the love of those who love them.

"Fire" is more a story that focuses on these themes rather than a titilating story about lesbianism. The love between Sita and Radha is organic and honest, although several Western stereotypes concerning lesbians are visible (for example, the older woman-younger woman relationship), but despite this rather easily-overlooked shortcoming, we're presented with a movie that, as a whole, is brilliantly acted and filmed, educational and most importantly, moving.

i don't know how familiar mr. maltin is with indian film-making, or whether he has ever stepped outside the rather narrow set of film expectations with which we as americans are raised, but to call this a 'ho-hum lesbian drama' indicates a total lack of perception. this movie is an amazing work on so many levels, not only because it challenges an entire social system, but because of the quality of the acting and the sensitivity of the screenplay to the problems faced by everyone in the movie. The men are not simply chauvinists, they're as trapped as the women; and this isn't a 'lesbian movie;' it addresses complex issues surrounding marriage and relationships, and although it is also a love story, it conveys something much deeper about liberty and identity. Azmi and Das do a wonderful job conveying the blossoming relationship, and the actors who play their respective husbands also deserve applause, as does Deepa Mehta for making this film. See it.