The Far Pavilions (1984)

Did you people see the same film I saw?

Absolutely Fantastic

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

romanticism. and the change of history. exotic landscapes, traditions and rules. and beautiful cinematography. a love story touching not only for its ingredients but for status of reflection of clash between two different cultures and for the last period of British India. the right word for define this series could be delight. not exactly as entertainment but as support for reflection and inspired definition of a period of fundamental transformation. not only social.

I first saw this shortly after its TV release in 1984, but didn't ever get back to it again till this year; you can get it on DVD of decent quality and it's definitely worth the price. I really recommend it. The 1000-page epic novel by M.M.Kaye, set during the height of the British Raj (late 1800's India), is given lavish treatment though with some appropriate condensations to make it fit into the 5-hour run time. It was one of several big-budget historical miniseries with international casts produced at the time (e.g. Shogun, or The Jewel in the Crown). Stories like this never go out of style. In terms of plot, The Far Pavilions is like a really high-level Harlequin romance -- forbidden love, heroes and villains, plot twists and coincidences, military adventure, intrigue and betrayal, daring rescues, lives lost and saved, and finally victory snatched from the jaws of defeat. What would an epic fantasy romance be without all of those? But at its most basic it's the Boy Meets Girl, Boy Loses Girl, Boy Gets Girl story (when in doubt, go with the classics!). Full credit to the production for using settings spotted throughout western India, which by themselves make this worth seeing: gorgeous palaces, ancient ruins, towns, citadels, massive processions and crowd scenes that are impressive and authentic - no special effects nonsense here.So, the story is that English soldier Ash (the ruggedly handsome Ben Cross) and half-blood Indian princess Anjuli (Amy Irving, who is stunningly beautiful here) knew each other as young children in the northwest India palace of Gulkote, but tragic circumstances (what else?) carried them apart. While Ash grows up in England and trains for the military, Anjuli endures a rather sad and lonely upbringing as an unwanted 'half-caste' in her own home. Many years later fate brings them together again and they fall deeply in love, but (of course) must surmount apparently impossible obstacles having much to do with the Western/Indian cultural divide. Ben Cross is fine if unexceptional, playing Ash as a slightly hot-headed idealist. He gets most of the screen time and the military sections in which he features are all well done. But the true center of this epic is the love story, and that's controlled by Irving's character. She quietly dominates every scene she is in, giving Anjuli deep wells of emotion but also a kind of unshakable spiritual nobility that would do credit to an angel. In fact, she's too loyal and self-sacrificing for her own good, particularly in relation to her jealous half-sister Shushila (Sneh Gupta).The middle section 'Journey to Bhithor', where the major characters and plot lines are drawn together, is excellent. But the final section of the story is the one that really sticks in the mind -- particularly the masterful staging of the suttee ritual, in which Ash must rescue Anjuli from being burned alive (or as it turns out, something even worse). The dramatic tension slowly ratchets up to excruciating levels as we see it played out from beginning to end (and I don't know of any other TV or movie production in which this horrific ceremony is shown so completely).If this were filmed today we'd rightfully expect that all the many non-English roles would actually be filled by Indian actors. That wasn't so much the custom 30+ years ago for Western productions, so here we see name-value Westerners fill some of the prominent Indian parts (Omar Sharif, Christopher Lee, Rossano Brazzi, as well as Irving). Nevertheless, they all do pretty well with their roles.The Far Pavilions has characters you want to root for who will ultimately win through to a happy ending -- just what we want out of an epic romance.

Someday, a distributor will make the complete miniseries available for the consumer. Any release of about 300 minutes has about 2 or 3 episodes cut from the original. The opening scenes of the current releases showing flashes of Ash's youth are pieces of these episodes which have been dropped since they would be considered nothing more than superfluous exposition to most Western viewers. But in order to fully appreciate M.M Kaye's story, they are vital and should be restored. These lost episodes impress the viewer with the customs of India, the background of Ash and Anjuli, the treachery of Biju Ram, the love of Sita and the wisdom of Koda Dad. Without them you don't really fully appreciate why Ash and Juli are so close, why Ash is torn between two cultures, and his relationship with Gulkote. The exposure to life in an Indian royal court contained in the lost episodes adds so much to the experience. So until you see a release that has a running time of about 400-500 minutes, let the buyer beware -- you are not getting the complete original of the mini-series.

This miniseries came hot on the heels of 'The Jewel in the Crown', 'A Passage to India' and a fascination with all things Indian.Ash (played by Ben Cross, best known for 'Chariots of Fire') and Wally (played by Benedict Taylor, who had featured in children's TV series 'Barriers') were the main players in this drama. Ash had been brought up to think of himself as Indian rather than officer class, and so falls in love with the sultry Anjuli (played by Amy Irving, at that time I think Mrs Steven Spielberg).The other characters are stock faces from the glory days of the British Raj - while big name actors appear in the more adventurous parts (Christopher Lee, Omar Sharif, Rossano Brazzi). Look out for a young Rupert Everett (post-Another Country) in the cast as well.Bits of the The Far Pavillions will stay in your mind. The futility of war. The ceremony of suttee (the burning of a living widow on her husband's funeral pyre). The forbidden love across castes and classes.Recently revitalised as a big budget West End musical, The Far Pavillions is well worth your time. Brilliantly cast, scripted, and directed, it was a definite plus point of 1980s British TV.