#paul blackthorne

This has been quite the year for our little blog. We’ve tried our best to entertain you, remind you of the movies you love (or love to hate), and introduce you to new and wonderful films. I’ve saved a very special movie for my last solo review, an epic Bollywood tale of a town’s fight for survival.

If you had told me ten years ago that one of my favorite movies would be a nearly four hour long drama about cricket, I would have laughed in your face. I’m not a sports person and I’m often underwhelmed by inspirational sports movies. The tried and true underdog-becomes-winner sports cliches don’t really speak to me. I’ve never been athletic and I’m pretty much the least competitive person on the planet. Stories of triumph on the field rarely make me feel anything. Lagaan is different though. There are so many layers to this beautiful, sweeping tale that you almost forget that it is in fact an inspirational sports movie.

In the late 1890s, India was still ruled by the British empire. Part of this rule included collecting taxes called lagaan from the provinces. Due to a severe drought, the farmers of a small village named Champaneer are unable to produce the large lagaan demanded by a ruling British officer, Captain Andrew Russell (Paul Blackthorne). In an act of real douchery, Capt. Russell makes a bet with an outspoken man in the village named Bhuvan (Aamir Kahn): If the villagers can beat the British officers in a game of cricket, their entire province won’t have to pay lagaan for three years. If they lose, they will have to pay triple lagaan. Bhuvan accepts the challenge and we have our plot!

One of the most compelling aspects of the film is the depiction of the struggle between the villagers and the British who rule over them. It is undeniably clear that the villagers barely survive while the British live lavish lives off of the hard work of the native people. While the British rule has long since ended, it’s clear that the people of India remember the back-breaking oppression of the former British rule. Lagaan doesn’t shy away from calling out British arrogance, pride, and greed that was the foundation of their ruling empire.

Now before you start a #notallbritishpeople trend, Lagaan does show that there were people who were willing to step outside the comfort of wealth and power. Capt. Russell’s own sister Elizabeth (Rachel Shelly) comes to the village’s help by teaching them to play cricket. She also falls in love with Bhuvan, further complicating the situation. Personally, I hate her character and I think she ruins some of the best parts of the film. It’s nothing against the actress. I just love Bhuvan with his real love.

See, Bhuvan already has a special woman in his life. Gauri (Gracy Singh) is the faithful friend who has been in love with him for years. The interplay between these two main characters is reason enough to watch the movie. It doesn’t hurt that they are both really easy on the eyes. I think Gracy Singh is one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen. And Aamir Kahn is a babe despite his 1990s George Clooney hair cut. Ultimately, they are so natural with each other and have amazing chemistry that you can’t help root for them.

Bollywood films used to be pretty old school when it came to showing physical affection between characters. There was absolutely no kissing on screen, so we don’t get to see that. But through beautiful camera work, staging, and scenery, we see the love between them play out in a way that few films can pull off. It’s intimate and intoxicating to see these life-long friends enter into a new stage of their relationship. Gauri and Bhuvan are a perfect match and I absolutely adore them.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention one major element of the film: IT’S A MUSICAL. That’s right! The music is beautiful and enchanting. One thing that I find so interesting is the difference in the language between what is spoken and what is sung. The conversation between the characters is completely normal where they talk like every day people. But the lyrics of their songs are incredibly poetic. They’re almost other-worldly at times. There are only six songs throughout the film, but each one is strong. The songs explore different themes and each one plays a part in the plot. They aren’t songs you can’t extract from the story. They matter and they move the plot along with ease and joy. The choreography is fantastic, and yes, I have tried to learn all the dances. 

The cricket match itself takes up well over an hour of the film. Granted, no matter how many times I’ve watched Lagaan, I still don’t really understand cricket. But that’s not really the point. The emotion you feel as they play the game is the real deal. While the British are playing for fun, sport, and pride, Bhuvan and his team are playing for their very lives. It’s not a game to them. It means the difference between three years of plenty or starvation. This is literally life and death to them. This tension is what makes the cricket match so exciting! My heart still pounds in my chest as we see the ragtag group of villagers take on the well-seasoned British players. Again, it’s beautifully shot and extremely well executed. The scenes fly by and it doesn’t feel like more than a few minutes. Plus, I never feel as much joy as when I see the people from Champaneer rush the field after every good play.

Lagaan is a film unlike any other. It is exciting, fun, moving, colorful, endearing, and enchanting. Bollywood has created many films that I enjoy, but Lagaan is the best I’ve seen. Not only does it address issues of its past (British rule and even its own caste system), it looks forward to the future. Lagaan was the first Bollywood film to do actual vocal recording during the filming. Typically, all the dialogue was dubbed in after. Lagaan broke this trend and recorded vocals live, with the exceptions of the musical numbers. It’s lush and visually stunning. It’s over the top at times, yes. But that is truly part of its charm. The filmmakers went all in and I love every minute of it. I’ve loved (almost) every minute of this year long project. I hope that we have inspired and entertained you along this wonderful journey.

-Angela