...on the outside as well as on the inside." Ava's character replies "We'd only change it back again the minute his back was turned." This exchange near the end of the film summarizes a basic theme that runs throughout the movie - that of racism and prejudice in this period film about India's coming to independence. There is a ton of voice-over done by Granger's character. I guess it is necessary to get in all the history and details behind the political climate of the time. It does drag the film down in places.
I thought this was one of Ava's better acting performances. In part because Tinseltown finally gave her a character with some meat and not just all cheesecake and sex appeal. In her biography, Ava herself says it is one of her better roles. She detested the locations shooting due to the heat, stench from the open sewers and nearly poverty level accommodations they had. She even contracted dysentery - so a not a great memory. She said the worst part was the rape scene which was so realistic in the portrayal, that it caused her nightmares for some time. Odd, but it looked rather tame on the screen to me (but this is 50 years later and we have seen a lot worse). Also in her biography, Ava states that they were allowed to use a sacred Sikh temple in the filming of the ceremony with Rajit. She said it was the first time they let non-Sikh's in the temple.
I found the film very realistic in its location shooting in Pakistan. The large crowd scenes with the locals were quite amazing and believable. The studio went to great expense to shoot this and haul all the necessary equipment and personnel to such a far away place. In fact, it is said this was the nail in studio head Dorry Sherry's coffin. Because it didn't have great box office success and cost quite a bit, he was soon kicked out. Much in the same way Louis B Mayer was 5 years previous. No loyalty in Hollywood.
But, apart from Ava's performance and the grand location shooting and realism, the film itself is left lacking for something. Ava says the film was cut unmercifully in the editing room and left out some of the better sequences. But there is a good message in the film in that we should treat all humans equally.
I thought this was one of Ava's better acting performances. In part because Tinseltown finally gave her a character with some meat and not just all cheesecake and sex appeal. In her biography, Ava herself says it is one of her better roles. She detested the locations shooting due to the heat, stench from the open sewers and nearly poverty level accommodations they had. She even contracted dysentery - so a not a great memory. She said the worst part was the rape scene which was so realistic in the portrayal, that it caused her nightmares for some time. Odd, but it looked rather tame on the screen to me (but this is 50 years later and we have seen a lot worse). Also in her biography, Ava states that they were allowed to use a sacred Sikh temple in the filming of the ceremony with Rajit. She said it was the first time they let non-Sikh's in the temple.
I found the film very realistic in its location shooting in Pakistan. The large crowd scenes with the locals were quite amazing and believable. The studio went to great expense to shoot this and haul all the necessary equipment and personnel to such a far away place. In fact, it is said this was the nail in studio head Dorry Sherry's coffin. Because it didn't have great box office success and cost quite a bit, he was soon kicked out. Much in the same way Louis B Mayer was 5 years previous. No loyalty in Hollywood.
But, apart from Ava's performance and the grand location shooting and realism, the film itself is left lacking for something. Ava says the film was cut unmercifully in the editing room and left out some of the better sequences. But there is a good message in the film in that we should treat all humans equally.