tcs-1
Lifetime Total
1+
IMDb Member
21 years
Reviews
Devdas (2002)
A gigantic wonderful steamroller of a movie
Having just seen Devdas, I wondered how it had been received by other viewers.
I am a 'Westerner' who has had a growing interest in 'Bollywood' movies and music over the last few years (and found it a very difficult genre to explore - since it's poorly represented in shops, except those in "Asian" areas of major cities in the UK).
I've seen enough to realise that Devdas was going to be a huge visual feast - almost too much to take. Heck... I was blown away by the trailer! I found it gripping and intense and extremely 'stylish'. Thundercracks, wailing children, whip cracks, stunningly lit glimpses of the more attractive cast members and wild swirling colours! What else could you want?
My colleagues and I were aware of the overly melodramatic content. I can see characters from Victorian plays and themes that are covered in a lot of films from around the world - mainly the 'Romeo and Juliet' idea of love being thwarted by families, traditions, prejudices and missed opportunities.
But Devdas is like a wonderful steamroller. It drives straight over you and leaves you breathless. I don't think I have ever seen anything quite so visually wild and exciting.
Early Hollywood epics had 'spectacle', but all on a grand scale - vast buildings, arenas, crowds. Devdas packs all this into a much smaller space, turns up the colour to maximum and then lights the whole thing up like a firework display. The dance sequences are stunning, Paro's flight through the house as she runs to the dying Devdas is stunning - the whole film is stunning.
Hang the historical accuracy... this movie is an unforgettable experience.
I am a 'Westerner' who has had a growing interest in 'Bollywood' movies and music over the last few years (and found it a very difficult genre to explore - since it's poorly represented in shops, except those in "Asian" areas of major cities in the UK).
I've seen enough to realise that Devdas was going to be a huge visual feast - almost too much to take. Heck... I was blown away by the trailer! I found it gripping and intense and extremely 'stylish'. Thundercracks, wailing children, whip cracks, stunningly lit glimpses of the more attractive cast members and wild swirling colours! What else could you want?
My colleagues and I were aware of the overly melodramatic content. I can see characters from Victorian plays and themes that are covered in a lot of films from around the world - mainly the 'Romeo and Juliet' idea of love being thwarted by families, traditions, prejudices and missed opportunities.
But Devdas is like a wonderful steamroller. It drives straight over you and leaves you breathless. I don't think I have ever seen anything quite so visually wild and exciting.
Early Hollywood epics had 'spectacle', but all on a grand scale - vast buildings, arenas, crowds. Devdas packs all this into a much smaller space, turns up the colour to maximum and then lights the whole thing up like a firework display. The dance sequences are stunning, Paro's flight through the house as she runs to the dying Devdas is stunning - the whole film is stunning.
Hang the historical accuracy... this movie is an unforgettable experience.