02-07-2013, 10:52 AM
Well, I couldn't find The Warrior (recently reviewed by DM) among the library's Hindi stacks, so I settled on Veer. The DVD cover shows a scowling man with a sword, and there's bound to be a Bollywood dance number. How can that go wrong?
Credits are interspersed throughout the first 23 minutes of the film, reminiscent of Once Upon a Time in the West, and there seemed many other nods to that film -- lots of extreme close-ups of eyes, dramatic confrontations, a choo-choo train and inventive ways of boarding it. But all are poor imitations. Wikipedia mentions that the film was an "almost hit," but that's likely a mistranslation of "almost hit by a semi."
This is one schizoid movie. It goes from massive battlefield scenes (thousands of CGI'd men and horses, explosions with crazy wirework, people soaring in straight lines or even arcing against gravity) to pompous British ballrooms. The British are cartoon villains, spouting vitriol at every opportunity at the filthy barbaric Indians. The Indians, alas, often come across as incredibly creepy (e.g., nothing like an Indian summoning a few inane English phrases to flirt with British ladies in London).
Starring as Veer is the incomparably reprehensible Salman Khan. Perhaps that's an unfair assessment. Still, he's killed and injured many with his reckless driving. He has long been facing a 5-year jail term for hunting and killing endangered species (he keeps buying court postponements), and after his breakup with Aishwarya Rai (what was she thinking!), she filed complaints against him for continuing to hound her. Oh, and he has this freakish steroidal upper body that makes his fight scenes incredibly clumsy.
I'm going to give away a minor scene here. Just so you know. Veer, as the Pindari prince, is required to sacrifice a little tethered goat at a large tribal gathering. He lifts the sword and brings it down with all his might, followed by horrified reaction shots of those all about. The baby goat trots over to its mother. He merely cut the leash. And now he gives a big spiel about not killing an innocent little animal, and how they must concentrate on killing the British. A highly revisionist corruption of Pindari culture, no doubt introduced in an attempt to patch up Salman Khan's reputation for callous killing of animals (and the occasional inadvertent human).
There are Bollywood dance numbers, some of them very odd (which is good), some fun. And the women's costumes are, as always, sensational. But the movie is a mess at 2 hours and 45 minutes. Did the director think he was making Lagaan? Not recommended.
Credits are interspersed throughout the first 23 minutes of the film, reminiscent of Once Upon a Time in the West, and there seemed many other nods to that film -- lots of extreme close-ups of eyes, dramatic confrontations, a choo-choo train and inventive ways of boarding it. But all are poor imitations. Wikipedia mentions that the film was an "almost hit," but that's likely a mistranslation of "almost hit by a semi."
This is one schizoid movie. It goes from massive battlefield scenes (thousands of CGI'd men and horses, explosions with crazy wirework, people soaring in straight lines or even arcing against gravity) to pompous British ballrooms. The British are cartoon villains, spouting vitriol at every opportunity at the filthy barbaric Indians. The Indians, alas, often come across as incredibly creepy (e.g., nothing like an Indian summoning a few inane English phrases to flirt with British ladies in London).
Starring as Veer is the incomparably reprehensible Salman Khan. Perhaps that's an unfair assessment. Still, he's killed and injured many with his reckless driving. He has long been facing a 5-year jail term for hunting and killing endangered species (he keeps buying court postponements), and after his breakup with Aishwarya Rai (what was she thinking!), she filed complaints against him for continuing to hound her. Oh, and he has this freakish steroidal upper body that makes his fight scenes incredibly clumsy.
I'm going to give away a minor scene here. Just so you know. Veer, as the Pindari prince, is required to sacrifice a little tethered goat at a large tribal gathering. He lifts the sword and brings it down with all his might, followed by horrified reaction shots of those all about. The baby goat trots over to its mother. He merely cut the leash. And now he gives a big spiel about not killing an innocent little animal, and how they must concentrate on killing the British. A highly revisionist corruption of Pindari culture, no doubt introduced in an attempt to patch up Salman Khan's reputation for callous killing of animals (and the occasional inadvertent human).
There are Bollywood dance numbers, some of them very odd (which is good), some fun. And the women's costumes are, as always, sensational. But the movie is a mess at 2 hours and 45 minutes. Did the director think he was making Lagaan? Not recommended.