Earth (1998)

Fresh and Exciting

A waste of 90 minutes of my life

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

1947 Earth tells the story of the lives of a few people in Lahore in the year 1947 – how their lives were and how they change with the partition. Central idea is good and so is the development of characters but the film fails in the portrayals, especially by the three main ones – Aamir Khan, Nandita Das and Rahul Khanna.The narrative is indulging in parts and most of the film is simply going on and on without much movement in the story. Some of the sequences in the film stand out like the train sequence and the finale. Cinematography by Giles Nuttgens and music by A R Rahman are the few positives in the film, especially the former which is so lively. Only actors who actually act are Maia Lethna as the young Lenny who is perfect for the role, Kitu Gidwani and Khubhushan Kharbanda. Rest all give very 'filmy' performances not matching with the theme. Profanity, nudity and sex in the film do not match with the production design, and rather turn out as offending elements. Certain scenes in the film come and go with no sign and sense e.g. why was the child marriage scene and Lenny's birthday scene inserted in between?I am happy that I saw Earth much after I saw Water and Fire, else had I seen this before, I would never ever have seen the other two gems. Earth is a complete letdown from Ms. Mehta. Movie is strictly not to be watched by the people of India and Pakistan as there are certain elements in the film which may offend them (and I am one of them).

I saw this film about 10 years back and have seen it thrice since then.Last time I saw it was on the "independence day" but this time after reading the novel "ice candy man".It made me appreciate the movie more and understand how beautifully Deepa Mehta adapted this partition story to a character study.After fire which was a brilliant film,ahead of its times in the Indian context this was her most accomplished work.Deepa Mehta keeps her objectivity without indulging or being judge-mental of the dark side of human nature as it emerges in the face of adversity.For me this movie is not about partition,but about human nature.The veil that separates us from animals becomes an anomaly in certain situation.So it is not so much the partition that drew the worst out of the characters but the demons such as lust,violence,jealousy,anger,resentment that already exist at the very core of human nature.It may or may not manifest itself in its most carnal form.But in this case it does.The innovation of songs as a part of narration was a masterstroke and when you have A R Rehamn at the fore,there will be magic."Raat Ki Dal Dal" is probably one of the most wonderfully pictured songs I have have seen in recent times,as the camera zooms in on Aamir as he is waiting for the train from India,encapsulating his anxiety.The art work is accurate enough,the cinematography is excellent(notice how the camera-work changes from being still and peaceful in first half to more vibrant in the second half).The performances of the entire cast is brilliant,whether it is the parsi family or Dil Nawaz's friend circle or even Gulshan Grover for that matter.Everyone seems to be on the money.Rahul khanna is a natural talent like his brother(which explains why he is not making it big in this superficial industry),he is rightly understated through the film.His is the only character which doesn't have as many demons and is probably at peace with himself after having the women of his dreams.Nandita Das is a brilliant actress whom I have long admired along with Seema Biswas and Konkana Sen.Her courage and talent shines through as she plays a character who is oozing sexuality,is flirtatious and maybe some what naive.In case of great actors,I try not to use the "best" and "greatest" to describe their performances,because it in a way diminishes their remaining equally brilliant body of work.But this was a new high for Aamir khan in my book.Before this movie I thought he was one of the most talented,versatile and courageous actors within the industry.This film is where he transcended to greatness and stayed there.To be very honest,most of the ground work was laid in the novel for this role,but one needs great vision to convey this charming character's journey into madness.The use of body language and "silence" is what separates the great actors from others.Al Pacino,George C Scott,De Niro,Sanjeev Kumar understood the value of it and here Aamir showcases his class especially in the climax.This film is not for the faint hearted.But that is what I have admired Deepa Mehta for.She has always been ruthlessly truthful when it comes to human nature whether it is "earth" or "fire".Unfortunately most of the Indians like the "escapist" mode just to "make them feel good about themselves".If you are one of those this not for you.P.S.Majority of the reviews here are spot on and people not aware of the horrors of partition were also able to connect on a human level which fulfills the purpose of this film.

Earth is one of those movies that, despite not being a masterpiece, still manages to 'affect' you in a deep, almost undefinable way. There is something harrowingly beautiful about this intense story of love and betrayal set in the backdrop of the partition of India.Based on Bapsi Sidhwa's novel, 'Cracking India', Earth tells the story of the partitioning of India seen through the eyes of a eight year old girl. Yet Earth is best viewed not as a historical drama, nor a political fable. Certainly the historical elements are there-the communal violence, the British snobbery, the flight across the border for the millions who were rendered homeless by the events of 1947. But above and beyond that Earth is a story about love and the destruction of innocence. Too many movies that depict historical events either err on the side of showing too much historical detail or relegate the history to a mere footnote. Earth steers clear of being a movie about the events of partition; rather, by concentrating on its effects upon a small group of friends and how it affects their friendships and relationships, it shows the soul of partition.Earth is shattering, stunning...and eerily beautiful. There are jarring moments, like ones that stretch symbolisms too far, yet they pale in comparison to the beauty that Deepa Mehta portrays.Earth takes you on a ride of tenderness, poignancy, shock and ultimately leaves you with a feeling of numbness. The climax, especially, contains an emotional punch as powerful as any I have witnessed. All the actors give excellent performances, especially Aamir Khan, the 'ice-candy man', who is astonishing in the last scene. And the music by A.R. Rehman is wonderful, even by his lofty standards.

I would not go into the details about the story. The brief description: story is about Dilnawaz, Lenny baby, Ayah and Hassan, four people and their experiences at the time of partition (one the most devastating events ever happened in the world)Six reasons why you should watch this movie:1. Aamir Khan's stunning portrayal of the character Dilnawaz. He brings the character to life. In the films's first half you can find some grey shades in the character. But in the second half the character becomes black. And this transformation is shown by aamir brilliantly. 2. Authenticity of the film. The setting of the film looks so real that you don't have to go into some imagination to feel what Lahore was like then 3. Musical score by A.R.Rahman. Both background score and songs fit into the film well. Especially the rut agayire, raat ki dal dal and yeh jo zindagi song 4. Direction of Deepa Mehta. Deepa Mehta has come long way after fire. Fire was not made for wider audiences. But this film is related to the universal concept which is religious conflicts. I salute her for making the film neither anti-Muslim nor anti-Hindu or anti-Sikh. This film shows that it was everybody's mistake. I also admire her for putting some scenes like Lenny and his friend meet a boy whose mother was raped (superb scene). 5. Wonderful depiction of the character Lenny baby by young actress Maia sethna. Especially at the movie's end. 6. A disturbing train scene and climax of the movie. The two scenes will haunt you for many years. They are so disturbing scenes that you will have sleepless nights. really mind numbingI rate this movie 9/10.