Hitze und Staub (1983)
50KHitze und Staub: Directed by James Ivory. With Christopher Cazenove, Greta Scacchi, Julian Glover, Susan Fleetwood. Anne is investigating the life of her grand-aunt Olivia, whose destiny has always been shrouded with scandal. As Anne delves into the history of her grand-aunt, she is led to reconsider her own life.
“Based on Ruth Prawer Jhabvalau0026#39;s Booker Prize winning novel of the same name, this film is not so much as being about India but rather using the country as an effective setting to tell a story spanning approximately 3 generations. Two story lines – one set in the past and one in the present – are juxtaposed and connected by the narrative of a young British woman who seeks to uncover the truth about an ancestor who once caused quite a scandal by having an affair with a local Nawab. The story lines examine the impact of Western and Indian cultures as lifestyles, social mores, and centuries of history clash and collide. A tapestry of India is woven, as seen through the eyes of the narrator, a foreigner, who sincerely attempts to grasp and interpret her observations. The story and the screenplay for this movie speak volumes about Ms. Jhabvalau0026#39;s extraordinary literary and cinematic talents as a social and historical commentator, storyteller, and screenwriter.”
