I loved the other two movies that Gippy Grewal directed, Ardaas and Ardaas Karaan -- I found both of them very moving. But I want to second the people who posted negative reviews of Shava Ni Girdhari Lal. The main character seems inconsistently portrayed, sometimes as a simpleton, sometimes as a wise man. In addition, despite her top billing, Neeru Bajwa only has a small role in the film. There is a lack of a compelling storyline as well. I found myself unable to concentrate fully on the narrative because I was bored. Also, the ending is either a masterful art-film type of ending, full of ambiguity -- or a cop-out. I vote for the latter. The cinematography and some of the costumes, however, were quite beautiful.
Reviews
2 Reviews
Maria Chapdelaine
(1934)
Evoking a lifestyle from long ago...
2 June 2012
The movie seems like an attempt to represent Quebec for a French audience, with an emphasis on what's unusual about the province's language, landscape, religious and working practices, etc. There's a lot of music and singing as well (including "Alouette" and other familiar songs of the times), with ultimately only a wisp of a story.
The title character, Maria Chapdelaine, is in love with François Paradis, and has to deal with his absence as he leaves to earn his livelihood as a fur trapper over the winter months. I won't say more about the story, because I would spoil the few surprises that it has to offer.
Unless you have a fascination for rural life in Quebec in the 1930s, you will find the movie slow going.
The title character, Maria Chapdelaine, is in love with François Paradis, and has to deal with his absence as he leaves to earn his livelihood as a fur trapper over the winter months. I won't say more about the story, because I would spoil the few surprises that it has to offer.
Unless you have a fascination for rural life in Quebec in the 1930s, you will find the movie slow going.
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