The Far Pavilions

The Far Pavilions

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DVD Reviews of The Far Pavilions

DVD Review: Very entertaining......
Summary: 4 Stars

PAVILIONS was partially shot the state of Jaipur in India and many of the buildings shown in various scenes date from the Mogul dynasty. In case you don't know, the Moguls reigned before the British came to India in the 1600s. I'm sure the buildings destroyed in the fighting scenes between Afghans and British and Indian soldiers were sets, but they too are quite good.

The shots of the marriage procession from Rawalpindi displays a cast of hundreds with plenty of livestock including gaily painted elephants. When one of the princesses says she's sick from riding in the royal litter mounted on the back of an elephant I can see why. The darn things bobble about like corks on a wind-swept pond. The marriage journey takes several days and includes Indian-style camping scenes that are both frightening and intriguing. I was sure someone was going to be stomped by one of those big elephant feet, but true to form the British soldier (Ashe) takes charge and gets the camp sqared away.

In spite of the fine cinematograpy, I can't give the DVD 5 stars. PAVILIONS is a fluffy action/romance tale not high art. Sorry if that sounds snobby, but JEWEL IN THE CROWN ruined me. That's the reason you should never read good literature--it ruins you for the "good read' which I am sure PAVILION is. So, if you enjoyed the book you will probably love the DVD.

I found the plot incredibly predictable and thin. Ashe/Ashtok and Anjuli have far too much access to each other. In the 19th century, English women would not have "run around the camp" at night and they were much more liberated than Hindu women. The typical single female from the royal Hindu stock would have been guarded like a hawk, always accompanied by another woman, and never allowed to be alone with a man--let alone a member of the British Raj (and, social intercourse was verboten between the races). The "excuses" for the chance meetings between Ashe/Ashtok and Anjuli, including some on-screen intercourse of the more carnel sort, make for spicy entertainment, but lack verismilitude.

And, the character Anjuli is inconsistention. On the one hand she ignores social convention and becomes involved with the Raj, on the other hand, she supports her selfish, homicidal, half-sibling due either to her social training or to her 'honor' I am not sure which.

M.M. Kaye wrote her book after her former book agent Paul Scott had published his book JEWEL IN THE CROWN. Supposedly, Kaye herself was Anglo-Indian, and I assume PAVILIONS is somehow based on her own ancestral story as she was the descendent of British Raj and Hindu royalty.

When she wrote her book, Kaye had read JEWEL, which was published some ten years before PAVILIONS. Her book is supposed to be the "reverse" love story where the woman is the person of mixed race. I might have found this more plausible if the actress playing Anjuli had not been Amy Irving. If you don't know who Amy is, you'll probably enjoy the film more than I did, but unfortunately, I know she's a really fine Broadway actress whom I saw in CROSSING DELANCEY.

Actually, I would have preferred Selma Hayak in the role of Anjuli, and someone more Anglo than Ben Cross in the role of Ashe/Ashok--some one like Joseph Fiennes perhaps. Ben Cross actually looks more Indian than Amy Irving (even with her skin dyed), which is disconcerting since he's supposed to be the "daring" Sahib who jeapardizes his British connections to be with the "inferior" Anjuli.

Most of the major characters meet a violent death. I won't say if Ashe and Anjuli are together in the end, but M.M. Kaye was undecided until the last moment as to whether they would be. (I know this from reading Scott's biography which includes some of her letters to him regarding PAVILIONS.)

If you enjoy action/romance tales, I recommend the film in spite of my criticism. The only caveat I offer is that you might want to watch PAVILIONS before you see the JEWEL IN THE CROWN. JEWEL will ruin you. (Both were released in 1984 by the BBC.) JEWEL is the kind of film you keep thinking about maybe for the rest of your life.

Description of The Far Pavilions

This two-DVD set includes interactive menus, a scene index, production notes, and a Kaye biography and book list. Originally released for television in 1984, The Far Pavilions has inspired viewers to travel to India, plus it has been included in numerous university courses because of its postcolonial and multicultural themes. This film will appeal to viewers interested in postcolonialism or Indian history and culture as well as anyone who loves a good romance. --Tara Chace