MovieChat Forums > Kabul Express (2006) Discussion > the donkey...

the donkey...

posted 17 years ago by chocoholic_00
6 replies | jump to latest

i just watched the film yesterday, i thought it was not bad for a hindi film, obviously you cant compare it to Kandahar, since its still a bollywood film. but there was one thing that bothered me, the donkey scene at the end of the film.

i personally felt it undermined the gravity of the film and it was quite a dissapointment. the film had solid performances (with the exception of that annoying american lady) and good plot and beautiful cinematography. and to end on such a note was a crap decision

but what can you expect i guess from a yash raj production. does anyone agree with me?

"It is the possibility of having a dream come true, that makes life interesting."

[–] tdcsubs 17 years ago

the donkey in no way undermined the gravity of the film and i don't think the director was all too keen on portraying the "gravity" of the situation in Afganistan, that's already been done...

the donkey was simply another humourous aid which served to lighten the mood throughout the journey..which if you notice is kind of like a roller coaster ride alternating between extreme *ulp* gravity, to use your word, and humour..with the one touching scene where the talib finally sees his daughter..

i think that the director hinted to us at the beginning that the talib was going to die, because we get the scene in the very beginning with the pakistani officer telling his troops "we have no men in afganistan!!" the donkey at the end simply lightened the mood after the inevitable end..and i don't think the audience needed to be left with the reminder of the loss of life in afganistan..i think the director has tried to give an insight into life in afganistan that is not ravaged with war and humour is the best way to do that..

p.s. i do agree with you about the yash raj production about usual crappy endings!!

[–] nipun_java 17 years ago

I may be overanalyzing this but I thought the donkey scene at the end of the movie was a metaphor for (US, people) the well educated audience who knows what is happening in the world but still refuses to acknowledge and act on the gravity of the situation.

Right before the donkey is shown, arshad warsi points his finger straight at the viewer.

But it was too subtle a metaphor and since being funny, I dont think people got that message at all.

What do you think?

[–] bhaku9 17 years ago

Agree Nipun,

I think it was a perfect shot aimed at the audience and making a donkey out of us. And we actually are like donkeys. We think we know everything about the world standing in some lonesome road somewhere immersed in our own thoughts.

[–] aerovertice 17 years ago

a very creative and insightful interpretation of the ending by nipun, i must say.

[–] Kawada_Kira 13 years ago

I may be overanalyzing this but I thought the donkey scene at the end of the movie was a metaphor for (US, people) the well educated audience who knows what is happening in the world but still refuses to acknowledge and act on the gravity of the situation.

Right before the donkey is shown, arshad warsi points his finger straight at the viewer.

But it was too subtle a metaphor and since being funny, I dont think people got that message at all.

What do you think?

That never occurred to me, but now that you mention it, it makes sense. Good eye.

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[–] immortally69 17 years ago

>> the donkey was simply another humourous aid which served to lighten the mood throughout the journey..which if you notice is kind of like a roller coaster ride alternating between extreme *ulp* gravity, to use your word, and humour..with the one touching scene where the talib finally sees his daughter..

+100000 on that