How on earth did George end up marrying Ella in the first place?
On her part, I suppose he was 'exotic' and on his, she was 'liberated'... but I still can't understand how it lasted for 25 years! But I guess looking at it from a modern perspective changes things.
Any thoughts?
The marraiage probably last because they had so many children.
shareSo, 1971, 25 years, they would have been married right after the second world war, when lots of people were marrying exotic strangers. She just picked a bad one. Now, why the hell he married her, well, he already had the traditional wife and he thought he'd try something different, the arrogant pr1ck Clearly the man is totally illogical and egotistical and will do whatver catches his fancy and justify it with his own further insanity. There's no telling what a nut case will do. But he obviously had some guilt for violating his traditions, but wasn't man enough to blame himself, so blamed everyone else. Bastard.
shareI imagine the dad was more culturally-rebellious in his youth, only becoming religious later on (as is often the case).
The mum calls him 'George' which hints that he may have tried to be more Western when he was younger (ironically, maybe like Tariq).
yeah I second you 100%...as a Pakistani myself, I have seen this hypocritical revolution quite often...being culturally rebellious in their youth, and becoming suddenly religious (so called religious, since it has nothing to do with Islam) in their latter years...
shareDon't forget that despite all the brutality, these people did love one another. It was a love match. They're still having sex after seven children. And whatever tugs of war they had before, there was nothing as serious as what started to happen when the boys came of marriageable age. Forced marriage was irrevocable. Before that, it was just stuff you could work around -- sneaking sausages during the day or running off to a club at night. For the earlier years there would have been conflict and accommodation, not so many threats and blows.
First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win. Gandhi.
They simply loved each other very much and despite their differences. In fact, even though the differences are cultural and of nationality between them, they face the same kind of falling-outs and lacks of understanding that any other same nationality couple would.
shareOm Puri says in the interviews on the DVD version I have that George's personality has constant contradictions: at times he's critical of Ella while at other he's going around telling everyone how wonderful this woman really is.
At heart, I think we're supposed to assume he really does love her...and that really most of the problems he has with her and his family are actually with himself, but he can't take it out on himself, only them.
Ella is a Roman Catholic of Irish extraction and for her, marriage is for life, despite George being so unreasonable (and much worse) at times.
share[deleted]
I suspect George changed when he had kids, as the responsibility of raising Muslim children forced him to change his attitude.
shareI reckon Tariq is more or less 'his father's son' really. By saying that, I mean, it seems to me, Tariq is more or less emulating what George seems to have done in his youth (i.e. George wanted a British girl, wanted to live a British life, etc) which is probably why they lock horns so often during the film.
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We've become a race of peeping toms.
Very much so. Like father like son.
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