MovieChat Forums > Earth (1999) Discussion > Hmmm

Hmmm

posted 20 years ago by typical_kiwi_bloke
13 replies | jump to latest

Ive been studying this film for english for the past year and its a shame that theres no message boards on it. I think this film has so many great themes (jelousy, love, betrayal) and uses great symbolism to reinforce them -eg: the lion in the cage, lenny trying to come to terms with the and the car/the split of india by tearing her bear apart, etc. So if anyone has anything about this film they wanna talk about, or any gripes about the film please reply.

Peace

" oma rapiti, oma rapiti, oma oma oma "

[–] masterkage 19 years ago

What I took from the film was the communal violence that broke out was an outlet for people to vent their anger (about life, not about hatred for the religion). Aamir Khan basically turns on Nandita Das after he founds out about Rahul Khanna, and he joins the muslim rioters.

Well written, acted, and directed.

[–] Salem77 19 years ago

true sad no posts, a great movie, would like to see again

[–] wiegee 19 years ago

The scene with the doll broke my heart. In fact, the whole film did. This part of history is something I've known about for years and years. I didn't "get it," not the emotional depth of it, until I watched this. The movie just ended, I just saw it for the first time. I want to cry.

[–] Super-Van 19 years ago

i just saw the movie for the second time this week and it is still hard to watch.
deepa metha has done an excellent job, hope she keeps it up.

[–] hppg 19 years ago

It was hard to watch, I agree. I had to close my eyes/skip some of the violence. Obviously, it was important and well-done, but I wasn't sure whether I wanted to be aware of such tragedy. Kind of.

[–] JayR84 19 years ago

Earth is one the best Indian Films i've ever seen, I hope Bollywood learned something for the film.

[–] pablo16 18 years ago

I thought Earth was based on the novel by Bapsi Sidhwa Ice Candy Man. Is Cracking India a somewhat non-fiction work of the same material? Sorry, i haven't seen the film yet, so i have to ask this.

Emancipation from the bondage of the soil/is no freedom for the tree.
Rabindranath Tagore

[–] vash_girl83 18 years ago

I viewed the movie in my "Global Perspectives" class and thought it was a beautiful film. But to answer your question "Cracking India" and "Ice Candy Man" are the same novel - "Ice candy man" was just what Sidhwa originally was going to name the novel. Hope I answered your question!

[–] sajit_216 18 years ago

As per wikipedia, "Ice candy man" is the title under which the novel "Cracking India" was originally published in India.

[–] jeebusenroute 18 years ago

I think it's a great and disturbing film, worthy of multiple viewings and for discussion. Even the simple dialogue was powerful.

"I don't know about what happened. . . because once you start writing, it all becomes fiction."

[–] xDearAmbellinax 18 years ago

I thought the movie was absolutely heart-breaking. This is the side of the partition that we rarely see. And Dil Nawaz' turn to madness is especially disturbing because he said he could control it if he only had Shanta's love. One isn't sure whether to pity his lost love or hate his evil.

[–] NonJeNeRegretteRien 17 years ago

Ice Candy Man loved the nanny, but it was a selfish, acquisitive love as he couldn't let her be happy with someone else. He could have expressed his jealousy in another way, even in random violence against strangers, but he struck out against his friends & destroyed what he could not have.
I found his character the most interesting as he felt love & cried after losing his hope of having it returned, but chose destructiveness & stooped to using a child to get it. Lenny as the eyewitness was interesting too, it was disappointing not to see what became of her as an adult.
Guess I'll have to read the novel.

[–] ilovecardinalbaseball 17 years ago

In the book, Lenny is the main character. Everything is seen through her eyes. In the book it does not tell you what happened in her future. In fact, the movie ending is completely different from the book. Ayah is a "fallen woman" and works as a dancing girl. You can only speculate that she was raped repeatedly unfortunately. She marries Ice-candy-man in the book in the end so that she could escape that world.
In the book, Lenny has a very sexual outlook on life. She often touches her cousin's genitals and he in return feels her body parts. When she asks what a fallen woman is he offers to show her one day.
I would read it because it had some really good moments.