Earth Reviews

• Another raw element

  
  By A37PV5GMP2ILJC on 2004-12-31
  "Earth" is a totally different movie to "Fire" but just as controversial. While "Fire" touches on forbidden relationships and the dominance of men, "Earth" explores religion, an incendiary topic at the best of times.
  
  Set in Lahore, India in 1947, this is a story of friendship, love, jealousy, betrayal, politics and ethnic cleansing. The main character is a young disabled Parsee girl named Lenny, who lives a comfortable life with her wealthy parents. Her nanny Shanta (Nandita Das, who also stars in Fire) is Hindu, and together with Lenny, enjoys the company of a diverse group of friends, including two Muslims, another Hindu and a Sikh.
  
  Shanta falls in love with Hasan (Rahul Khanna) a peaceful, intelligent Muslim masseur, despite the affection of Dil Navez, known as "Ice Candy Man" (Aamir Khan).
  
  The partition of India splits the group wide apart, and in the ethnic violence following independence, Dil Navez' sisters are brutally butchered. Turning to Shanta for support and love, his marriage proposal is rebuffed, and the final straw comes when he watches an intimate act between Shanta and Hasan.
  
  The violence eventually reaches Lenny's household, as an angry Muslim mob descends on the property looking for Hindus, and she learns the hard way that even your friends can betray you under the right circumstances.
  
  This movie graphically depicts the violence of ethnic cleansing, the horror of which overshadows the beauty of romance, the closeness of friendship and the happiness of families.
  
  Well directed and acted, this movie may bring tears to the eyes of even the most jaded viewers.
  
  Amanda Richards, December 30, 2004
  
  
  
  

• A Beautiful and Courageous Film

  
  By A3JC8BLYZYSZLX on 2001-01-01
  Deepa Mehta's film "Earth" is at once tragic and courageous. It follows the lives of several people during the harsh times of Indian independence, in 1947. So many times, the portrayl of this era in cinema - which itself is very rare - idolizes only the events leading up to independence, usually following Gandhi. What is ignored by most of the media, though finally brought to light in "Earth," is the near anarchy that followed as religions that had survived peacefully for centuries aside one another erupted in a clash of ethnic warfare. Muslims and Hindus, brothers in the subcontinent for hundreds of years, clashed against one another over land and religion. Sikhs, too, who had been in India for hundreds of years as well, fell into this pot of warfare.

  "Earth" discusses these events plainly but beautifully. The film itself is wonderful cinema: the plot continues to develop, the characters are real, and the tragedies are terribly saddening. There are moments of humor, of course, but most of the movie involves seeing those images of oppression and violence that have been shielded from view for so long. At one point, an entire traincar arrives, only to be filled with the bodies of dead Muslims - slaughtered, presumably, by Hindus, Sikhs, or others - from a nearby city. Later on, when a Hindu tenement in the city of Lahore (where the movie takes place) catches on fire, the Muslim firefighters douse the building not in water, but in petrol, escalating the flames. And after this has happened - after the audience and the characters have bore witness to horrible, unforgivable atrocities - the movie makes a very important point, that, though disturbing, is truly exemplified in the Indian subcontinet of 1947: everyone - be they Sikhs, Hindus, or Muslims - can be bad, and they can all do horrible acts to each other. The movie makes a point not to side with any individual religion. We see elements of Islam, elements of Sikhism and Hinduism, elements of the Parsees, and the movie remains non-judgemental. Everyone (well, not the Parsees too much) perform terrible acts to everyone else. By not being judgemental, "Earth" shows how these religions, these people that fought against each other with vehement, all have a very potent similarity. They are all capable of viciousness and inhumanity. "Earth" is a fabulous film, and is a must-see. Even if one is isn't interested in the workings of the wars that seperated India and Pakistan in 1947, one should see "Earth," as it finally shows those hidden deaths, those hidden tragedies, to the public eye. Bravo, Deepa Mehta.
  
  

• Ethnic hatred takes over friendship and a world goes mad!

  
  By A17FLA8HQOFVIG on 2000-10-29
  Filmed in English and Hindi, this is the story of the partition of India in 1947, when Great Britain gave India her freedom, and partitioned the country into what is now India and Pakistan.

  The story is told through the eyes of an eight-year-old upper class Parsee girl. She has large dark eyes filled with wonder, a crippled leg, and the wisdom of innocence as she observes a world going mad around her.

  The city of Lahore, now in Pakistan, was in India then, and all the sects lived together in peace. Now, it becomes the site of turmoil and disaster as friends turn against each other and the blood bath begins.

  The casting is perfect, the characters attractive and excellent actors, the music an important component of the internal and external dramas going on. The script is tight, the characterization deep, the story interesting on many levels.

  The new country of Pakistan becomes Muslim and although the Parsees can remain there in peace, Hindus and Sikhs must leave. The situation is reversed in what becomes India, which forces the Muslims to leave. There are riots. Explosions. Atrocities by both sides so terrible that I shudder with revulsion.

  The eight year old girl with the crippled leg is a witness to her times.

  Don't miss the opportunity to view this video, feel the pain and passion of the individual characters, and experience a history that most Americans have little knowledge of. It's time to learn. And its time to understand.
  
  

• HISTORICAL, SAD, DRAMA, ROMANCE, PERFECT FILM

  
  By A21QLXMLHVDN23 on 2002-01-11
  When I finished watching it my heart has filled with sadness. The acting is superb. Who'd think that there would be soo much betrayal and a MAJOR shift from hapiness to extreme sufering and sadness. The music although slow is also GREAT. This movie helped me on my project about India and taught me about life in India before the partition riots of 1947 and about what happened in 1947, the riots, and the meaning of India's independence to those who lived in what is now Pakistan.
  The acting is exellent, there was nothing that I saw wrong with this movie at all. So much sad scenes of vicious violence, and silly scenes of childhood as well as great romance and heart influencing emotion. This movie has affected me sooo much.
  
  

• Very IMPORTANT information about this amazing movie!

  
  By AI787WSV46R72 on 2001-06-03
  EARTH is one of the best movies I have ever seen, and it my uderstanding from reading the other reviews that others feel this way, too. If you are a fan of the movie, I have some VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION to share with you:

  First, I want you all to know that the movie is based DIRECTLY on the book CRACKING INDIA by Bapsi Sidhwa (and if you haven't read the book--you must! Add it to your cart right now--Sidhwa is a wonderful writer and you cannot fully appreciate the movie until you have read the book). So to begin, I wanted to make sure that Sidhwa was recognized. I think it is only fair to give the "mother" of the idea full respect. Ok, for all of you desperate to find the SOUNDTRACK, I know where you can find it! To find it, you must know that when the movie first came out (in India I believe)it was entitled "1947" so the soundtrack is of the movie "1947" (Earth is exactly the same as 1947). Now, as if your life couldn't get any better...I know where you can order the CD soundtrack. Go to [...] and type in "1947". It should take you directly to a page where you can buy the CD. So, I hope that this gem of information will prompt you to read the book CRACKING INDIA, as the movie cannot be fully appreciated without having read it. Any more questions, you can e-mail me at ShumNum@aol.com. Happy viewing, listening, and READING!
  
  

• One of the finest films I have seen
  By A31580IB61GMRK on 2001-10-16
  I saw Deepa's first effort in this series (Fire) and was entralled with the characters and the story. I was expecting a bit of a letdown with this film as most second efforts are usually not as good. I could not have been more wrong. This film had the hair standing up on the back of my neck through the sheer emotion of the tale being told. The characters are wonderful and the plot is quick and not predictable.

  I found that this film changed the way I think about some parts of my life....
  
  

• An Amazing Film
  By A1YY9CAIF9RM2C on 2002-10-17
  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 surrounds 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.
  
  
• The human animal
  By A5GGQD2GJDJIN on 2005-11-20
  "1947 -- Earth" is stunning, ravishing both visually and emotionally. The story is, ostensibly, about a particular time and place -- the city of Lahore, just on the line where the August 1947 end of the British Raj would crack the subcontinent into two parts. In a real sense, though, the film is not about one piece of history safely long ago and in someplace comfortably far away from us. It is about human behavior: what we hope we'll do, and what we're afraid we'll do.Deepa Mehta's work here surely does impact most deeply on Indian and Pakistani audiences precisely because it IS their personal history. But look at Bosnia, Kosovo, Rwanda, Darfur, 9/11, Iraq, Abu Ghraib,the bombings in Madrid and London -- the darkness there is the same one Mehta shows us in "Earth." She's talking about (and warning) people like us, too. The cast is remarkable. Even small roles are in the hands of quality like Kuhlbushan Kharbanda and Raguvir Yadav. The girl who is Lenny-baby beautifully combines innocence with the willful caprice of a child who's been over-indulged. Rahul Khanna has the sweetness of one who loves but has nothing to lose and everything to gain. Nandita Das' Shanta -- a flower around which Musselman, Hindu, Sikh, and Parsi bees all hover -- is knowledgeably flirtatious yet obtusely unobservant, or perhaps careless, of her effect. Best of all is Aamir Khan, whose Ice-Candy Man sees what is inside him, tries to stave it off, and then can do no more. Khan knows the value of stillnes. In that stillnes, his eyes -- Olivier eyes -- look at us, show us what he's seen inside and show us what we should fear inside ourselves.
  
  
• A heartbreaking and powerful film.
  By A348820ZNKKYPI on 2005-08-28
  There have been complaints in reviews here about the lack of background information in this film on the different religions. However, keep in mind that the film was made for Inidan audiences who it must be assumed already knew all that information. The rest of us will just have to do a bit of research.
  
  For instance, Lenny-baby's family was Parsee and therefore neutral in the conflict between Muslim, Hindu and Sikh. Who were the Parsees? They were and are modern Zoroastrians. Their ancestors fled from Persia to India after the conquest of Persia by the Arabs in the 8th century.
  
  Zoroastrianism is monotheistic like Islam and Christianity. It was once a world-class religion, but now it is almost extinct. In India, the Parsees are so few that their presence was never regarded as a threat by any of the other factions.
  
  Regardless, the story is searing and at times hard to take. The fate of the two lovers is especially cruel.
  
  It is interesting to see Amir Khan assay a role that is somewhat unusual for him and yet not all that unusual. He is charming, he is winning as ever and yet... In a way, his character defines what the movie tries to say about people and friendship and betrayal and hatred.
  
  Throughout the movie, we expect from him exactly what little Lenny-baby expects. If it were otherwise, the ending would not have the impact it does. It was an inspired bit of casting.
  
  And the little actress playing Lenny-baby, she is absolutely remarkable; one of the truest children I've ever seen on screen. She never hits a false note.
  
  I am not sure if I could watch this movie again, but I do recommend that it be seen at least once. You will never forget it. I won't. Once is enough.
  
  
• without a doubt one of the greatest movies ever made.
  By ATYBHFDT23PPL on 2005-01-09
  i watch this movie each time I have forgotten that it succeeds in ripping your heart out of your chest. its characters are honest and real. It shows the vile character of fear and hatred which arise in the consensus of human beings. Where people gather, they seek to divide. All that is hopeful is lost in political pressure and the fear hatred and murder that ensue. This is our downfall from now until the end of time but where that truism could become repetitious, this story keeps from becoming stale by truly endearing you to the characters it will show to have these faults. In the end you feel so helpless that you understand the size and power that the fear and hate can achieve. I watch this movie each time I have forgotten that it succeeds in ripping your heart out of your chest, to remember at that cost, its lesson through a directors technique and care that leaves me wanting for nothing.
  
  
• A Seeringly Poignant Examination of Religious Factions of India
  By A328S9RN3U5M68 on 2006-09-19
  Deepa Mehta has such a commanding presence in her films that she is able to leave her audience both educated and devastated by her stories and by the ingenious ways in which she tells them. EARTH is a magnificent example of her gifts and while it may not be as visually luxurious or as touching as her subsequent WATER, it is a fine film that not only depicts a troubled time in India's history, but also informs us of the intricacies of how people relate to each other - first as humans, second as religious sects.
  
  The film has at its heart the year 1947 when India was given its independence from Great Britain and at the same time bifurcated into two countries - India and Pakistan. The story opens with a tranquil park picnic in Lahore where friends - Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Parsee - while away the afternoon in camaraderie. Only slight overtones of edgy topics about religion mar the conversation until the topic focuses on the incipient split of the country into two countries. Each of the friends represents each of the religious sects and it is how these differences, at once unimportant to friendship, end up in separating the friends under the influence of the devastation of bloodshed that follows the division of the country and the displacement of millions of people, all under the guise of independence.
  
  There is a strong love story, a committed crippled child who experiences all of the happiness and subsequent tragedy that is to follow and the story ends with some words of wisdom by the grown little girl reflecting on choices made, and other sidebars that maintain interest at every frame.
  
  The acting is first rate from a beautiful cast and Mehta's direction makes this tale of change whir by the viewer. For those not educated in the differences of the four religious sects of Hindu, Parsee, Muslim, and Sikh the tale can become confusing: would that Mehta would have included a discussion about the film in an added feature the way she helped us understand the plight of widows in WATER. And the subtitles unfortunately do not translate the English spoken portions of the film, portions that while very important to the story are nearly indecipherable due to the accents of the characters speaking.
  
  But these are minor quibbles in a film that pleads for repeated viewings, so beautiful is the movie and so very important is the message. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, September 06
  
  
• Earth
  By A38LLD08LCZOYH on 2003-06-09
  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.
  
  

• A Review of Earth
  By A1N1LOY96KWJXB on 2003-06-11
  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.
  
  
• See it, but read real history too
  By ATDE9JYCPI0L1 on 2006-08-19
  This excellent film, set in Lahore, India before the partition in 1947 relegated that city to Pakistan, outlines the personal lives of several Muslim, Sikh, Hindu and Parsee characters and their sufferings inflicted upon them during the bloody birth of the "two state solution" in the sub-continent.
  
  The story is told from the viewpoint of Lenny, the only child of a wealthy Parsee businessman in Lahore. The little girl, perhaps 10 or 11, has long been disabled, perhaps by polio (though the cause is never clear) yet walks everywhere with her beloved (and stunning) ayah (nursemaid), Shanta (Nandita Das). Although herself a Hindu, the young woman has many warm friendships with young Sikh, Hindu and Muslim gentlemen, including two young Muslims, who are wooing her simultaneously.
  
  Dil Navez (Aamir Khan), whom his friends--and Lenny lovingly call "Ice Candy Man" because he always offers sweets to his guests--like all the others often accompanies Shanta and Lenny to the park. There, along with Hasan (Rahul Khanna) a gentle and thoughtful Muslim masseur, and several other Sikh and Hindu friends, Shanta and Lenny partake of picnics, sweets, games and stories, delighting in the warmth of their small but diverse circle of friends.
  
  On holidays, Dil Navez teaches Shanta how to fly kites, and cut the strings of competitors. To his delight, this enables him to wrap his arms around her, to help her guide her kite string. However, Shanta has her eye on Hasan, who gently rebuffs little hints of religious contentiousness that periodically enter the group's conversation.
  
  When Dil Navez proposes marriage to Shanta, she answers with embarrassment and reluctant silence. Meanwhile, the atmosphere in Lahore grows increasingly political, as Muslim refugees arrive from India, and Hindus and Sikhs flee for the safety of India. The politics shortly turns violent, and when a train of Muslim refugees arrives in Lahore, more than twelve hours late, all of them have been slaughtered. The victims included Dil Navez' sisters, fueling his resentment.
  
  Shortly thereafter, Dil Navez follows Shanta home. Peeking through her bedroom shutters, Dil sees Hasan make love to her, ask her to marry him, and propose to spirit her off to India, along with several Sikh friends.
  
  Finally, the violence comes even to the Parsees' gate, when Lenny and her Sikh-turned-Muslim friend discover an atrocity literally just beyond it. Within minutes, Lenny learns a painful truth--that good friends, whom one believed could do no harm, can be duplicitous and dangerous.
  
  The film includes some of the horrors that engulfed India during the partition, but it papers over the motivations, attributing equal blame to both sides.
  
  A more accurate description of the actual history can be found in the non-fiction account of the partition, Freedom at Midnight by Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins.
  
  Nevertheless, this is an extremely good film, and heartbreaking.
  
  --Alyssa A. Lappen
  
  
• The others have already given excellent background info...
  By A2CZBI7D1B876T on 2001-07-09
  ...but I just want to add to the praise for this movie. Having just watched it, I feel that I have just witnessed as perfect a movie as I have ever seen. This is an important film that captures the essence of one of the most cataclysmic events in human history. I wish everyone could see it.
  
  
• You will be affected!
  By A1SE9UVPY5UU22 on 2006-03-30
  I saw this film on a Sunday afternoon many months ago. I have been profoundly changed by this engaging story. It has many layers that I think I will incorporate it into my college class as a topic for class viewing and discussion.
  
  So many nuances concerning religion, conversion, love and a child's trust. Jealousy, bravery, intolerance have been wonderfully illustrated in a way that I have rarely seen covered so well in one film.
  
  
• Scandal in India, delight in America
  By A286RG2NDF1T6B on 2000-06-09
  I saw the movie Earth in India. It's a great movie. The drama and intensity is wonderful the actors are the best India has to offer, I think. Because some of the highly sexual content and the Pakistani and Indian tension, many Indians didn't find this movie pleasing but I think it showed the truth and wasn't about your typical singing, dancing number that most Hindi movies are like. Kellie
  
  
• Eye Opener
  By A2IO8Z9CA921CX on 2006-05-03
  This movie opened my eyes to India and it's diversity, as well as it' past. I first saw "Earth" about three years ago, and I have been in love with the Indian people ever since. I think that "Earth" illuminates for Western eyes what happened in India after WWII and shows how much love her people can have regardless of where you come from. I know this is a bit of an idealization, because there is a lot of hate there too, but an overwhelming feeling of love of life and of earth is what "Earth" gave to me. Thank you Deepa.
  
  
• And then there was darkness
  By A2WIG3AU4K5RB9 on 2006-05-13
  A historical depiction on the effects of religious fervour on people. Shantha the nanny, in a sense, seemed to represent the beauty of India. All Indians - Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Parsees, alike, revolve their lives around this divine creature. Shantha chooses her suitor because of love, not religion. Then, there was chaos. Partition. Religious riots. In a deep jealous rage, friends turn to foes.
  
  
• The painful partition of India
  By A146H6A41B26QT on 2006-09-02
  "Earth" explores the event that triggered the largest mass migration in human history through a small group of friends torn apart almost against their will. Lahore is reputedly the most beautiful city in what is now Pakistan; in 1947 it was a melting pot for Muslims, Hindus, Parsees, Christians and others. The story is told through the eyes of Lenny, an upper class Parsee girl whose family desperately tries to stay neutral as the world falls apart around them. Lahore fell on the Muslim side of the line, and amidst growing violence the friends have to make choices. Hasan the Muslim decides to marry his love Shanta, a Hindu, convert, and move to India. Dil Navaz, who also loves Shanta, turns bitter and vengeful when he learns his three Muslim sisters are killed on their way back to Lahore. Others convert to save themselves; for some it is too late. But, as always, violence and extremism become a cover to take revenge for very personal reasons. "Earth" ends with a stunning betrayal that will leave you shaking. Beautifully and realistically filmed, "Earth" portrays a lost world, as the new nation of India is born. It's a painful film to watch but well worth your time.
  
  
• Great flick for Bollywood enthusiasts
  By A2QPJY8ED30WKH on 2006-07-11
  I've seen many bollywood films and for that reason I was intrigued by the controversy sparked by the entire Deepa Mehta trilogy (Fire, Earth, and Water). After having seen all three movies I can honestly say that Earth was by far the best of the three. The acting was superb and the story was so much more tragic and heart wrenching than the other two films.
  
  
• A look behind history
  By on 2000-06-10
  If you are a fan of history and historical events you will love this movie. If you are not you will also love this movie. It is a look behind the historical separation of India and Pakistan. A look at the way that the decision to separate these two countries affected the main characters in the story. Love, betrayal and loyalty are the main themes explored as the main characters are forced to choose between friendship and national pride. The movie build from the friendship of the characters to the explosive events that lead to the separation of these two nations. It is powerful and informative.
  
  
• A powerful, haunting story
  By A20WGDO44ILCD4 on 2001-07-27
  This an powerful story about the partition of India into two countries, India and Pakistan. There was a huge movement of people between the two countries, and thousands of people were massacred. The story takes place in Lahore, just before the partition, and is seen through the eyes of a ten-year old Parsi girl. She has a Hindu nanny, who is young and attractive. The nanny has a group of admirers, a Hindu, a Sikh and two Muslims. The director, Deepa Mehta, uses this little group of friends to portray the break-up of the country. At first they stay loyal to each other, but as the violence touches them, the cracks appear and suspicion and hatred creep in. The film is based on the book by Bapsi Sidhwa called The Ice-Candy Man (though the film calls it Cracking India--maybe it has two titles).
  
  
• How best friends become enemies:The breakup of India
  By ATXL536YX71TR on 2007-03-13
  This is the first of a trilogy of films written and directed by Deepa Mehta.EARTH is the film that sets up the following films by telling us the history of the breakup of India from British rule.For 250 years Hindus,Muslims,Sikhs and Parcees had all coexisted under British Colonial rule.Now,in 1947 Britain,as it is pulling out,divides the land into India and Pakistan.The best of friends and families are forced to choose where they will go and where their loyalties will be.Nine year old Lenny-baby.a lame girl from the neutral Parcees,witnesses this calamity as the story is told from her innocent viewpoint.EARTH sets up the conditions that existed in India at the time to prepare you for the following FIRE and WATER.EARTH is an excellent companion movie to GANDHIand A PASSAGE TO INDIA as it sets all of the historical facts into place,yet telling the story with great pathos.EARTH is the most action oriented of the Deepa Mehta trilogy.FIRE and WATER are much more introspective and reflective.THIS IS A TREMENDOUS THREESOME OF FILMS THAT ARE ALL HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
  
  
• Powerful and moving
  By on 2001-09-19
  This is perhaps one of the best history lessons on the screen.
  I saw this movie in the theatres and left moved beyond belief.
  After "Fire" I was entranced with Deepa Mentha, and was looking forward to another of her films. "Earth" has gone beyond my expectations of what one would hope to see. It was such an honest and painful view of the reality of violence and hatred. I can only say, BUY IT BUY IT BUY IT...it is something to own and treasure always.
  
  
• Not as good as "Water"
  By A368HLN6J0OPHB on 2008-04-20
  I gravitated toward this movie after seeing "Water," which I thought was amazing. "Earth" seemed to me to be, though ambitious in scope and subject, a much less accomplished film--somewhat pedantic and leaden, awkward and fragmented. The characters all too obviously stand in for aspects of the social and political landscape, whereas in "Water," the characters' stories and relationships with each other, while embodying larger issues, were for me much more involving, immediate, vivid, and poignant. I think Mehta grew enormously as a filmmaker between making these films.
  
  
• Mehta's Earth divided by religion.
  By A3D9VXSUDX8J36 on 2008-11-26
  Deepa Mehta is best known for her extraordinary trilogy: Fire (1996), Earth (1998), and Water (2005). Based upon Bapsi Sidhwa's autobiographical novel, Cracking India, the second film in the series, Earth, tells the epic tale of the 1947 partition of the British Indian Empire from the perspective of a disabled eight-year-old Parsi girl named "Lenny-baby" (Maia Sethna). Lenny lives with one of her legs in a brace. Her beautiful Hindu nanny, Shanta (Nandita Das), falls in love with a Muslim masseur, Hasan (Rahul Khanna), but also likes Dil Navaz (Aamir Khan), also known as "Ice Candy Man." Dil loves Shanta, and hopes that one day she will be his wife. Lenny observes eveything around her. When Muslim passengers are found murdered on a train, tensions erupt between Muslims and Hindus, resulting in mob violence and arson. Religious differences divide their country, but Shanta and Hasan are united by their love. As Lenny bears witness to the unfolding civil war around her, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Parsees, and Christians find themselves at odds with one another, and Ice Candy Man is transformed from a friend into a madman. The film features mesmerizing imagery and a beautiful soundtrack composed by A. R. Rahman. Earth resonates on many levels. It is sensual, intelligent, and beautiful. Highly recommended.
  
  G. Merritt
  
  
• Earth
  By A3VKBGUVAITPAH on 2000-06-12
  A very very powerful film. Best seen together with the earlier film Fire. The soundtrack is incredibly haunting. Desperate to obtain a copy of the CD.
  
  
• moving beyond words
  By A1XCU17MUI0ZU on 2000-12-03
  Anyone with the slightest interest in Indian culture will find much to enjoy in this film will enjoy it. I am also desperate to find the soundtrack on CD.
  
  
• an excellent film
  By AHY2KG32696ES on 2001-01-30
  Earth is a second film in Deepa Metha's trilogy "Fire," Earth," and "Water." While I find the plot to be a bit slow, the script, the music, and the political message is absolutely outstanding. The dialogue between different characters,(Hindus, English, Muslims, Sikhs, Parsees)is captivating and intense. The love story is romantic and innocent. The historical narration is frightening. At one point, one of the character summarizes an important message, "[We're all like the lion in the cage, [people] are afraid of. When the cage is open, may God help us all.] The story is about love, exploration of human emotions, betrayal and inherant voilent nature of people. Earth is the most powerful movies I've seen in years.
  
  

• Fire
• Water
• Salaam Bombay (Widescreen Special Edition)
• Monsoon Wedding
• The Namesake