Matrixston Wow! Such a good movie.

Executscan Expected more

Mischa Redfern I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

Walter Sloane Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

vondoba A film for those who like history and large-scale analog cinematography in the classic mode. While it departs in certain details from the original novel, and while it did not score well at the box office, Bhowani Junction stands in retrospect as a monument to filmmaking excellence in the epic age of Hollywood, with a fine script, great historical verisimilitude, gigantic production values, and excellent performances all around, most especially by a ravishing Ava Gardner as a half-Indian, half-English minor officer in the British colonial corps, and by Stewart Granger as her commanding officer. The star-crossed pair eventually find love amidst the coming departure of the British from India, encountering Gandhi's cadres of non-violent resistors, scheming and marauding Communists directed from Moscow, and the sexual and racial politics and ambiguities of the late colonial period. The titling styles of films in this era can feel dated, but who cares---all in all this is great stuff, and an entirely educational and pleasant way to spend a couple of hours.

PudgyPandaMan ...on the outside as well as on the inside." Ava's character replies "We'd only change it back again the minute his back was turned." This exchange near the end of the film summarizes a basic theme that runs throughout the movie - that of racism and prejudice in this period film about India's coming to independence. There is a ton of voice-over done by Granger's character. I guess it is necessary to get in all the history and details behind the political climate of the time. It does drag the film down in places.I thought this was one of Ava's better acting performances. In part because Tinseltown finally gave her a character with some meat and not just all cheesecake and sex appeal. In her biography, Ava herself says it is one of her better roles. She detested the locations shooting due to the heat, stench from the open sewers and nearly poverty level accommodations they had. She even contracted dysentery - so a not a great memory. She said the worst part was the rape scene which was so realistic in the portrayal, that it caused her nightmares for some time. Odd, but it looked rather tame on the screen to me (but this is 50 years later and we have seen a lot worse). Also in her biography, Ava states that they were allowed to use a sacred Sikh temple in the filming of the ceremony with Rajit. She said it was the first time they let non-Sikh's in the temple.I found the film very realistic in its location shooting in Pakistan. The large crowd scenes with the locals were quite amazing and believable. The studio went to great expense to shoot this and haul all the necessary equipment and personnel to such a far away place. In fact, it is said this was the nail in studio head Dorry Sherry's coffin. Because it didn't have great box office success and cost quite a bit, he was soon kicked out. Much in the same way Louis B Mayer was 5 years previous. No loyalty in Hollywood.But, apart from Ava's performance and the grand location shooting and realism, the film itself is left lacking for something. Ava says the film was cut unmercifully in the editing room and left out some of the better sequences. But there is a good message in the film in that we should treat all humans equally.

amhnorris 'Bhowani Junction' was one of the few movies where Ava Gardner was allowed to be more than just a beautiful, but inanimate statue. As Victoria Jones, she emotes in ways that one rarely sees her do. Like her character Julie in 'Showboat' Victoria is bi-racial, which is the main theme of the movie. The Pakistani backdrop is gorgeously photographed and it's certainly a testament to location shooting as opposed to studio backdrops. Unsurprisingly, it was well directed by Cukor, especially the interior, dramatic scenes that he is so famous for. The final sequence is a break from that, however, with darkly lit chases and murder. An entertaining diversion; certainly one that fans of Gardner would want to catch.

Jugu Abraham This film could have been wonderful if some of the parts had been given to Indian actors. For instance, Hollywood and British studios make believe that Indians speak English in a sing-song manner. They might have heavy accents but few speak English that way. Freda Jackson's role as "the Sadani" (could it have been an ignorant variation of "Sardarni"?) was incredibly stupid casting in that she spoke impeccable English for a middle-class Sikh lady. This apart Jackson was able to dominate her screen time.I would have liked to dismiss this film as a below average film but for the incredible performance of Ava Gardner who towers over all else in the movie. Take her accent--for an American, there was no trace of her origins when she spoke. She alone looked real with raven black hair in a sari draped in foppish manner--after all she was an Anglo-Indian. Had she worn well like an Aishwarya Rai, Cukor would have got it wrong.Cukor deserves full credit for choosing Gardner for the role and for capturing the ambiance of romantic North Western Railways, its first class coaches, the engines and goods wagons. A keen observer will note that some of the shots of goods wagons showed vintage wagons, while others showed contemporary ones.Though shot in Pakistan, the film caught the Indian ambiance perfectly, right up to the Railway quarters for its staff.Ava Gardner, it is only too evident, performed well under the guidance of good directors as John Houston. This film and "Night of Iguana" are my personal favourites among her films.