Hatred is not essential for nationalism. Race hatred will kill the national spirit… Gandhi"Earth" (1995), by Deepa Mehta
Earth was a remarkable film about the independence of India from the British in 1947 and the price it paid as a result. Two reviews were introduced for this movie: Earth Unforgettable by Zaminae Ansari and Earth by C.J.S.Wallia. Although both reviews critiqued the movie well, I preferred Earth by C.J.S Wallia. This review was sobering as was the subject matter it discussed. From the beginning to the end, the movie failed to explain and depict the severity and ramifications of India’s independence from Britain’s rule after it had kept the peace between the Muslism, Hindus and Sikhs for over a hundred years. This review did not paint a rosy picture, and it did not compare the confusion of a child to that of a country, which included religious leaders, bourgeoisie, and government officials. It did not see it a love story or a romance amid the chaos. I agree with Wallia when he/she asserts that a child of that age could not comprehend or explain to others on a superior level exactly what was happing to her country and how it would affect her. This fact is proven when an angry mob of Muslim men come to kidnap her Hindu nanny. The family’s Muslim servant lies to the men telling them that the nanny has left. However, the narrator betrays her nanny and places her family’s life in peril for frozen ice-cream on a stick. Furthermore, she does not understand that the ice-cream man is in love with the nanny but is incensed because his love is unrequited. This is a very complex story. Wallia also believes that(Metha thru)the narrator could not explicate the poignant issues about the subject because she does not understand the cultural and historical facts about the people involved. What I enjoyed the most was Wallia’s statistical data about on one group of the people and her incorporation historical research when validating her point of how Metha was misinformed and embellishing. Unlike some, I agree with Horace when he wrote that entertainment should be two fold, enlightening and informative.
Sometimes I want mind numbing entertainment, which would explain why I want to see the wedding movie with Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson. But when it comes to a film like Earth, I agree with you (and Horace) that we should be informed and entertained at the same time. I have to say that Earth achieved that goal for me, although folks like Wallia would have me believe that the education was false.
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