Jain Movie Reviews

Earth, by Deepa Mehta is a historical and interesting portrayal of partition, which happened in August in 1947. Partition was the work of the British rule over India, and their divide and conquer technique of rule. As they decided to give the power to the people they had one last controversy they had to put in place. Their last action in power was to separate India into Muslim (Pakistan) and Hindu (India) countries. Once put in place, chaos and massacre rose amongst the once peaceful people. Over 15 million people were forced to move to unknown territories, while many were killed.
Deepa Mehta's film, which is based on this tragedy, portrays this horror through the story of an 8 year old girl named Lenny. The film is set in the city of Lahore, which ended up in Pakistan but saw much of the violence. The girl's family is not biased toward either side since they are of the religion Parsee, neutral in this fight.
Lenny's family is a rather rich family and has many servants of different beliefs. Lenny has a warm and loving family and a life free of care. Her caretaker, Ayah Shanta, is a beautiful young Hindu girl. From the beginning, it is obvious that she is popular with the men which causes much jealousy and eventually her death in the end. Life is good for the characters until the separation movement is put in place.
As the day of action grows nearer, tension grows more and more within the town. Good friends engage in harsh political debates of separation and threats. Ice Candy Man, one of the men fighting for Ayah's love, is driven into depression when his sisters are killed on a train trying to reach Lahore before the day of separation. Then when his marriage offer is turned down and Ice Candy Man sees Ayah with Hasan, another Muslim, Ice Candy Man is driven to insanity for revenge on all Hindus, including Ayah. When a mob of blood thirsty Muslims headed by Ice Candy Man comes to Lenny's house, the parents of Lenny try to protect Ayah by saying she has left. Lenny, deceived by Ice Candy Man tells him the truth of Ayah's whereabouts. After realizing what she has done, Lenny watches as her nanny is dragged away by the mob.
I had mixed feelings about the movie, "Earth". In the beginning of the film, it set the scene by letting you meet the family that the film was based upon and view their everyday life. The movie centers around a Parsee family in which I learned took a neutral position in the partition. They didn't attack, and were not attacked by either side. In Lahore where the movie takes place, the people were very peaceful and lived comfortably together. The city was mostly Muslim populated, but the Hindus owned the majority of the businesses. When the idea of partition was introduced, they really didn't know to which country they would belong.
I really didn't enjoy the beginning, as I though the English being spoken was difficult to understand, and reading the subtitles was bothersome. There was no action, people were performing their everyday tasks and constantly debating the pros and cons of partition. As a result, at the beginning, I didn't think that the movie was going to be very interesting.
After the actual partition occurred, which was very confusing, one day all was well, the next, everyone was dying. The viewer knows that the partition was happening but I found it to be confusing. As I said, the central family was going for a drive, then suddenly you see people marching and carrying all of their belongings. I think there could have been a better way to show that the partition had begun. I thought that it was interesting to view the actual riots and a little taste of what actually happened to people when the fighting began. In Lahore, which was given to Pakistan, so the Muslims were in control, they sought out all Hindus that remained. Everyone was corrupt, even the police and fireman. If one was a Hindu, mobs of Muslims would come and take them away. I think that the movie would have been better, if a parallel was made to a city that stayed in India, so one could view what the Hindus did, as well as the Muslims. It would have been interesting also to see what happened in rural villages and in the countryside.
What I really enjoyed, was the train event, the train massacre. I didn't like the train station appearing with all the dead bodies. They didn't actually recount the history of the train burning. The movie explained some of it in a radio broadcast, but some of it was still unclear.
I felt that throughout the entire movie, I was trying to figure out what religion each family was, and what side they took, what side each city supported, and all the little details. It made it difficult to enjoy the movie. It was hard to distinguish between the secondary characters, and determine which belonged to which religion. I think there should have been a distinguishing look, or dress, something to aid you in trying to determine the religion of each member.
The movie did give me an inside look at the trials that the people had to endure during the partition, their life, although I still felt it to be confusing. I felt that the plot wandered, it was difficult to understand and analyze. The movie was an excellent tool used to teach about the life at that time, but it did not portray well the actual events and facts surrounding the partition.

Main Characters:
Lenny - A young Parsi girl, the daughter of two upper-class individuals. She is disabled and walks with a brace around her leg. She often says the wrong things at the wrong times, and is a very curious girl.
Shanta - A beautiful young Hindu woman who is Lenny's nanny. She is the object of affection of many young men. She is in love with Hasan, a young Muslim man.
Hasan - He is a young Muslim who is in love with Shanta. He is very loyal to his friends, even over the events that are happening.
Dil Navaz "Ice Candy Man" - He is also a young Muslim man who is in love with Shanta. However, she does not return his affection. He is very angry at the whole partition situation because his sisters were killed on a refugee train. He is very jealous of Hasan because Shanta loves him.

Basic Story Line
It is 1947 in Lahore, India, right before partition. Tensions are brewing between the Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs living in this town. A group of friends, two Muslim, two Hindu, and one Sikh, are starting to feel the effects of this tension as well. Although they have been friends for a long time, they are deeply affected by this, and they are starting to show signs of breaking. Among them is Shanta, a beautiful young woman who is Hindu. She is the nanny of a Parsi (considered a neutral religion) girl, Lenny, who narrates the story. Shanta is the center of the story, as she has to decide between two of her friends that wish to marry her. Her decision creates a rupture in the already unstable balance of the friends. Her life then becomes endangered when Lahore is given to Pakistan, and the Muslims are trying to rid it of Hindus. This is a story of friendship, love, and a betrayal with the ultimate consequence.

Historical Accuracy and Portrayal
This story is obviously meant to educate people on the horrors that happened during the Partition of India. It is meant to show that not only did it split up a country, but families, friendships, and lovers as well. I think this movie did an excellent job of portraying partition. However, I think that to completely understand this movie the first time around, you need to have a decent previous knowledge of the subject. For example, if I had known nothing on partition, I would have been confused as to why the Muslims and Hindu's did not like each other, or to why the Parsi's were not involved, etc. The religion issues were not given enough introductions for someone unknowing to understand. However, besides that, this was a moving movie that really made me understand how horrible this was on people. The horrendous acts of violence from both sides, the riots, and the hatred suddenly conjured up in people, were portrayed very well. It really made you think about what a horrible time it must have been in their history. Also, it makes you understand the economic struggles and moral issues that both of the countries have today. Connecting the present and the past with this movie was done very well. All in all, this movie's historical significance was truly a find, and really opens your mind to what was going on back then.

I first saw this movie two years ago at an Amnesty International movie night at my college. I didn't pay all that much attention because I'd come in the middle. I saw it a year later for a Women Studies course and fell in love with it. The Partition is a difficult time in Indian and Pakistani history, but it is brought to vivid life in this film. The large scale story is brought to a manageable level with the circle that surrouds Shanta. Some of her suitors are Muslim, some Sikh, and some Hindu. She is what India could have been and the men around her are what India was to become. The acting is quite strong and I have to agree with all of the people who called the three main actors (Nandita Das,Aamir Khan, and Rahul Khanna) to be quite an amazing group and they make every scene when they are with the other shimmer and have more life than all the others. A truly beautiful movie with beautiful people, beautiful scenery, beautiful music, and a story worth hearing.

Earth, by Deepa Mehta is a historical and interesting portrayal of partition, which happened in August in 1947. Partition was the work of the British rule over India, and their divide and conquer technique of rule. As they decided to give the power to the people they had one last controversy they had to put in place. Their last action in power was to separate India into Muslim (Pakistan) and Hindu (India) countries. Once put in place, chaos and massacre rose amongst the once peaceful people. Over 15 million people were forced to move to unknown territories, while many were killed.
Deepa Mehta's film, which is based on this tragedy, portrays this horror through the story of an 8 year old girl named Lenny. The film is set in the city of Lahore, which ended up in Pakistan but saw much of the violence. The girl's family is not biased toward either side since they are of the religion Parsee, neutral in this fight.
Lenny's family is a rather rich family and has many servants of different beliefs. Lenny has a warm and loving family and a life free of care. Her caretaker, Ayah Shanta, is a beautiful young Hindu girl. From the beginning, it is obvious that she is popular with the men which causes much jealousy and eventually her death in the end. Life is good for the characters until the separation movement is put in place.
As the day of action grows nearer, tension grows more and more within the town. Good friends engage in harsh political debates of separation and threats. Ice Candy Man, one of the men fighting for Ayah's love, is driven into depression when his sisters are killed on a train trying to reach Lahore before the day of separation. Then when his marriage offer is turned down and Ice Candy Man sees Ayah with Hasan, another Muslim, Ice Candy Man is driven to insanity for revenge on all Hindus, including Ayah. When a mob of blood thirsty Muslims headed by Ice Candy Man comes to Lenny's house, the parents of Lenny try to protect Ayah by saying she has left. Lenny, deceived by Ice Candy Man tells him the truth of Ayah's whereabouts. After realizing what she has done, Lenny watches as her nanny is dragged away by the mob.
I had mixed feelings about the movie, "Earth". In the beginning of the film, it set the scene by letting you meet the family that the film was based upon and view their everyday life. The movie centers around a Parsee family in which I learned took a neutral position in the partition. They didn't attack, and were not attacked by either side. In Lahore where the movie takes place, the people were very peaceful and lived comfortably together. The city was mostly Muslim populated, but the Hindus owned the majority of the businesses. When the idea of partition was introduced, they really didn't know to which country they would belong.
I really didn't enjoy the beginning, as I though the English being spoken was difficult to understand, and reading the subtitles was bothersome. There was no action, people were performing their everyday tasks and constantly debating the pros and cons of partition. As a result, at the beginning, I didn't think that the movie was going to be very interesting.
After the actual partition occurred, which was very confusing, one day all was well, the next, everyone was dying. The viewer knows that the partition was happening but I found it to be confusing. As I said, the central family was going for a drive, then suddenly you see people marching and carrying all of their belongings. I think there could have been a better way to show that the partition had begun. I thought that it was interesting to view the actual riots and a little taste of what actually happened to people when the fighting began. In Lahore, which was given to Pakistan, so the Muslims were in control, they sought out all Hindus that remained. Everyone was corrupt, even the police and fireman. If one was a Hindu, mobs of Muslims would come and take them away. I think that the movie would have been better, if a parallel was made to a city that stayed in India, so one could view what the Hindus did, as well as the Muslims. It would have been interesting also to see what happened in rural villages and in the countryside.
What I really enjoyed, was the train event, the train massacre. I didn't like the train station appearing with all the dead bodies. They didn't actually recount the history of the train burning. The movie explained some of it in a radio broadcast, but some of it was still unclear.
I felt that throughout the entire movie, I was trying to figure out what religion each family was, and what side they took, what side each city supported, and all the little details. It made it difficult to enjoy the movie. It was hard to distinguish between the secondary characters, and determine which belonged to which religion. I think there should have been a distinguishing look, or dress, something to aid you in trying to determine the religion of each member.
The movie did give me an inside look at the trials that the people had to endure during the partition, their life, although I still felt it to be confusing. I felt that the plot wandered, it was difficult to understand and analyze. The movie was an excellent tool used to teach about the life at that time, but it did not portray well the actual events and facts surrounding the partition.

Main Characters:
Lenny - A young Parsi girl, the daughter of two upper-class individuals. She is disabled and walks with a brace around her leg. She often says the wrong things at the wrong times, and is a very curious girl.
Shanta - A beautiful young Hindu woman who is Lenny's nanny. She is the object of affection of many young men. She is in love with Hasan, a young Muslim man.
Hasan - He is a young Muslim who is in love with Shanta. He is very loyal to his friends, even over the events that are happening.
Dil Navaz "Ice Candy Man" - He is also a young Muslim man who is in love with Shanta. However, she does not return his affection. He is very angry at the whole partition situation because his sisters were killed on a refugee train. He is very jealous of Hasan because Shanta loves him.

Basic Story Line
It is 1947 in Lahore, India, right before partition. Tensions are brewing between the Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs living in this town. A group of friends, two Muslim, two Hindu, and one Sikh, are starting to feel the effects of this tension as well. Although they have been friends for a long time, they are deeply affected by this, and they are starting to show signs of breaking. Among them is Shanta, a beautiful young woman who is Hindu. She is the nanny of a Parsi (considered a neutral religion) girl, Lenny, who narrates the story. Shanta is the center of the story, as she has to decide between two of her friends that wish to marry her. Her decision creates a rupture in the already unstable balance of the friends. Her life then becomes endangered when Lahore is given to Pakistan, and the Muslims are trying to rid it of Hindus. This is a story of friendship, love, and a betrayal with the ultimate consequence.

Historical Accuracy and Portrayal
This story is obviously meant to educate people on the horrors that happened during the Partition of India. It is meant to show that not only did it split up a country, but families, friendships, and lovers as well. I think this movie did an excellent job of portraying partition. However, I think that to completely understand this movie the first time around, you need to have a decent previous knowledge of the subject. For example, if I had known nothing on partition, I would have been confused as to why the Muslims and Hindu's did not like each other, or to why the Parsi's were not involved, etc. The religion issues were not given enough introductions for someone unknowing to understand. However, besides that, this was a moving movie that really made me understand how horrible this was on people. The horrendous acts of violence from both sides, the riots, and the hatred suddenly conjured up in people, were portrayed very well. It really made you think about what a horrible time it must have been in their history. Also, it makes you understand the economic struggles and moral issues that both of the countries have today. Connecting the present and the past with this movie was done very well. All in all, this movie's historical significance was truly a find, and really opens your mind to what was going on back then.

I first saw this movie two years ago at an Amnesty International movie night at my college. I didn't pay all that much attention because I'd come in the middle. I saw it a year later for a Women Studies course and fell in love with it. The Partition is a difficult time in Indian and Pakistani history, but it is brought to vivid life in this film. The large scale story is brought to a manageable level with the circle that surrouds Shanta. Some of her suitors are Muslim, some Sikh, and some Hindu. She is what India could have been and the men around her are what India was to become. The acting is quite strong and I have to agree with all of the people who called the three main actors (Nandita Das,Aamir Khan, and Rahul Khanna) to be quite an amazing group and they make every scene when they are with the other shimmer and have more life than all the others. A truly beautiful movie with beautiful people, beautiful scenery, beautiful music, and a story worth hearing.

As much as I wanted to hate a hockey movie with Rob Lowe and Patrick Swayze in it when it came out, it wasn't actually as bad as I thought it would be. The scenes on the ice are laughable, not just for the obscene WWF style fighting (even the minor leagues aren't this bad, and Canadian major junior, while having more fights than in American HS hockey, is nothing like the minor leagues), but with that ridiculous scene with Lowe and Swayze skating around in a circle and passing back and forth to each other. What was actually pretty accurate were all the scenes off the ice (at least the ones involving the team; I won't comment on the stupid love story). The locker room scenes and those in the bars are pretty dead on. Plus, the movie features future NHLers Peter Zezel and Steve Thomas when they were still in juniors as members of Rob Lowe's team (both were playing for the Toronto Marlboros when the movie was filmed). I think Zezel actually has a line! Plus, seeing Keanu Reeves pretend to have a French-Canadian accent is "worth the price of admission" alone.

Yes another small town kid battling A.d.d and his mental block to make it in the big leagues of hockey and bang the coach's daughter.

OK, who cares if it's "unrealistic." In the very small Hockey Genre this is without a doubt the best of the bunch. Why...because it's entertaining.

Rob Lowe and Swayze at their peak and a goofy first entry by Keanu Reeves gave us a glimpse of things to come. He cant act. The only downside to this flick is the highly irritating "lets get it on and make my dad angry" content but other than that a fun, and sometimes funny film.

The DVD is very very good with 4 stars for both the widescreen video and audio that you can't tell from 5.1. Four stitches.

This is one of my favourite movie by Gulzar. Great performances by Sanjeev Kumar, Waheeda Rehman, Shabana Azmi and others.

But the DVD is completely an insult to the movie as it does not contain the entire movie. The DVD has a running time of 112 minutes where the movie is over 2.5 hours long. missing almost half the movie.

This DVD would have been must keep if it was complete! alas

Although this film when one watches seem to be a boring one specially for those viewers who have been keeping themselves uptodate by watching all the films released in the 90s uptill now because majority of them are all very very bad in terms of it's songs or the story. There may be two or three films in the 90's which a true collector might give considerations but the All time classics like Namkeen will always be a film which one would wish to watch again and again and will not get bored. Also the cast is not too much in terms of counting but Waheeda Rehman, Shabana Azmi and Sanjeev Kumar they have given their ultimate performances.

A must to keep film.

This was utter, utter ...(bull). I rented this movie and I would have baseball batted this piece of ...(bull) across my backyard but, I didn't want to have to pay for it. Wasn't even worth the $4 I spent renting it. It's shallow attempt at sentimentality was just mindbogglingly stupid. I actually regret renting this and wasting those fleeting moments of my life on it. I wanted to sue the company that made this movie for that couple of hours I wasted on this ...(bull) back but, it wasn't worth the time. Complete ...(bull). Never ever even contemplate renting this. AWFUL.

There are 58,183 names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The lives they touched tell their stories. This is the story of 3 brave men who never made it home, told in three short, unique segments. THE PENCIL HOLDER: Edward James Olmos plays a tough Colonel struggling to raise his young son on an American military base surrounded by the brutality of battle. THE BADGE: Ruby Dee - in a heart wrenching role - reveals the pain a grandmother feels as she sends her beloved grandson overseas. THE PLAYER: Starring Frank Whaley & Michael DeLorenzo - A selfless squad leader must confront a parasitic hustler who's getting rich off the spoils of war.