Customer Reviews

Heat and Dust [VHS]

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This 1982 Merchant Ivory production is a lush, atmospheric period piece based upon the well written book of the same name by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, who also wrote the screenplay for this film. Set in two distinct eras, colonial India of the nineteen twenties, during the time of the Raj, and the independent, freewheeling India of the early nineteen eighties, during the time when India was a mecca for disenfranchised youth, it explores Anglo-Indian relations through the power of romance. This is subtley done through the story of two women.

One story is that of Olivia (Greta Scacchi), the young and beautiful wife of Douglas Rivers (Christopher Casenove), a minor district official in colonial India. The film tells of her arrival in India, newly wed and in love with her husband, her subsequent boredom with the staid, British Colonial community, and her blossoming infatuation with the Nawab (Shashi Kapoor), a very handsome and charming, local Indian prince. It is her romance with the Nawab that is to result in a life changing action, one that would forever cause a permanent rift with Douglas, changing her life forever.

The second story is that of Anne (Julie Christie), a beautiful and independent woman, a descendant of Olivia's sister. Nearly sixty years after Olivia's transgression, fascinated by the story of the deceased Olivia, Anne goes to India, visiting those locations where Olivia had lived and those which would have been a part of her existence at the time. As did Olivia, she falls under India's spell. As did Olivia, she, too, has an Anglo-Indian love affair. Hers is with her landlord, Inder Lal (Zakir Hussain). Anne's life essentially picks up where the thread of Olivia's life left off, giving the viewer a powerful sense of de-ja vu and a suggestion of reincarnation.

This film is a beguiling story of two women from two different generations who come under the spell of India. It is is evocative of British colonial India, as well as of India of the early nineteen eighties. During both eras, Anglo-Indian relations are pivotal to the budding romances and the film is evocative of the rythyms of Indian life in all its richness and tumultuousness, as well as its lingering poverty and superstitions. Redolent of a time gone by, it is also an interesting dichotomy of the good and bad in both cultures, Anglo and Indian, and the influence that both cultures have on these two women, who are so different, yet so alike.

Julie Christie is perfect as the thoroughly modern, beautiful, free thinking, young woman who retraces her ancestor's footsteps. Greta Scacchi, in her introductory film role, is luminous as the lovely Olivia, a woman who did not let prejudice and narrow mindedness blind her to the charms of India, its people and its culture. Shashi Kapoor is perfectly cast as the handsome Indian Prince, whose veneer of culture and sophistication belies an injured pride, chafing under British colonialism. While the role of Inder Lal is well played by Zakir Hussain, there does not appear to be much chemistry between him and Julie Christie, in contrast to the smoldering chemistry there is between Scacchi and Kapoor. The seeming lack of chmistry btween Hussain and Christie is the one weakness in this film.

The film, one of the earlier Merchant Ivory productions, is beautifully shot. Gorgeous period costumes contribute to the sense of a time gone by. While the story bounces along between the past and the present, it is effectively done, as one sees the transformation of the past to its present. This is a film that will appeal to those who love period dramas, as well as those who simply love a good, entertaining story. Unfortunately, it is no longer available in video. It is, however, deserving of having its print transfered to DVD, as it is a film well worth having in one's collection.

This beautifully crafted film, largely set in India during two time periods, was referred to as a "sleeper" shortly after its release. In my opinion, it should have won an Oscar. The sets and costuming were beautiful, but most interesting was the story itself. Two women, having similar experiences in India sixty years apart. It ended with the subtle suggestion of reincarnation. Just beautiful. I've been attempting to purchase the video for two years now, to no avail. Why are the producers/studio not reissuing this outstanding film on video? I do hope this changes soon.

I watched the movie almost twenty years back on Indian TV and was entranced by the romance of British India. I then ordered it on UK Amazon site, bought a code free DVD player, just to watch this movie. This is one of those rare instances when the movie is far better than the book. May be that has to do with the fact that the author was also the script writer. The cinematography is incomparable. The backbone of the story is the beautiful Greta Scachchi and her romance with an Indian prince.

This film should have an Oscar. Breathtaking and carefully crafted one of the best films I have seen. The film very cleverley shows the end of British as well as the end of Old mughal Nawabs in northern India. Though muslims by faith, the Nawabs or the Princes were far away from their faith and beliefs. It was an eye opener for me as well which explains the fact that such a great Mughal Empire just crumbled within a century.

What Merchant Ivory has always done well is to bring style,panache and social consciousness to tell the stories of those who are subjugated to second class citizenry. HEAT AND DUST is one of their earliest lavish productions that tell the plight of women and their unfortunate precast roles in British and Indian Society. The characters are strong and resourceful in face of the unfairness and inconsequentiality that a patriarchal society has pushed upon them.

Acting greats Greta Scacchi (here an ingenue) and Julie Christie (then a seasoned actress) play two women related by blood whose stories are paralled though sixty years apart. Aunt Olivia (Scacchi),a 1920's British Newlywed and her very Stayed British husband (Christopher Casanove) arrive in India at the sundown of British Colonial Rule. Civil uprising is already brewing. Gandhi is a new force on the scene. Hindi and Muslim are vying for power as British Imperialism is soon to come to an end. With this as the historical backdrop, Olivia is a young woman who finds herself willing to snub all convention and risk a scandalous affair with a Prince (or Nawab, played by Shashi Kapoor).The parallel story takes place in 1982 with grandniece Anne (Christie) fascinated in tracing Olivia's steps based on Olivia's kept correspondence by Anne's grandmother. Anne also dicovers in herself the same "wildness" that her Aunt had, and all of this is fueled by the crazy "heat and dust" that casts it's mystical and magical spell on those it touches(or so all of the men say is the problem affecting these "silly creatures"-women)This film is not without some very tongue-in-cheek wit and humour. The Nawab's mother for instance is a stitch!

The film's subplots also include historically accurate portrayals of the women of both the old and the new India. They are also caught in the web of mysogyny and are forced to survive any way they can.


One expects lush interpretation,gorgeous costumes and great set design from Merchant Ivory. You get it all here and then some. This film is beautiful and first rate in all respects. Unfortunately, some will dismiss this film as a "chick flick" or simply a "period piece" (terms that are demeaning).Those with love of history and social issues will benefit and be enormously instructed and entertained.


Coupled with the films GANDHI and A PASSAGE TO INDIA as well as the Deepa Mehta trilogy EARTH, FIRE and WATER, HEAT AND DUST serves to complete a well balanced and indepth look at British Occupation in India and the plight of women. Another Merchant Ivory Productions that also highlight womens issues is THE BOSTONIANS.

It is helpful to view a number of Merchant Ivory productions in chronalogical order. Many deal with the position of women in society and how their individual personalties and life experiences guide them in dealing with their situations. Heat and Dust may seem a bit dated to the modern movie-goer, but it still manages to spin a classic story with some generational and ethnic twists that keep the viewer engaged. Top notch casting and elegant photography make this "personal" film seem guite heroic.

One of my favorite Indian movies showing the challenging, tense and sometimes romantic days of the Raj compared with the India of the sixties, seventies and eighties when I used to visit quite frequently. Rather a "chick flick" though, but lovely scenery and costumes. A handsome, dashing, single prince notices the recently arrived, attractive yourg wife of a junior British Civil Service Officer and things become rather unglued. Decades later, her neice follows her to India to reconstruct the family mystery, but there's something about India.............

At the time I used to travel there I said that India was the most exotic and exciting country in the world where most people visitors would interact with would speak English. I still truly believe we have an emotional tie to India, through its history (prior to the Brits as well as after), underlying philosophies, poetry, art, science, medicine and a great appreciation of beauty. Not to mention that our languages in the west are "Indo-European." It's the only recently freed colony in the world that I can imagine that would have its military band play "Auld Lang Syne" as the last British troops departed aboard ship from the Gateway of India at Bombay.

I also told my Art Museum groups (I planned tours for Art Museum patrons at that time) that India would become an economic powerhouse in the 21st, century and, of course, back in the 80's everyone thought I was crazy. Indians are a brilliant, resourceful and industrious people and a high proportion are very well educated. We should pay attention.

If "A Passage to India" was the tragic version of the story, here is the corresponding farce. India at the dusk of British rule, between the World Wars; a young English woman, an Indian man, sex, scandal - but in Ruth Prawer Jhabavala's novel and the subsequent film (which she also wrote), the Indian guy is not an ingenuous, if naive, little doctor but a dubious, if charming, prince who runs a mafia-style organized-crime gang. Nobody is safe from Jhabvala's gently ironic perspective; nobody is a saint and nobody is a victim. The prince's chain-smoking mother is one jewel of a supporting role. For anyone who liked "A Passage to India" but found it too moraline-drenched, this is a truly funny and highly amusing version of the story.

I truely loved this film, but I cannot play it in this region. I shall try to find a solution as soon as I can. Glad to have the movie, just hope I get to watch it in near future.

too slow and too false.could not stay with it maybe some other time when there is nothing to do....and no other movies