Search - Khuda Gawah on DVD

It's Like Gone With The Wind with no annoying spoiled women

Hap | Austin,TX United States | 03/29/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Once a pal of mine and I were in a Hollywood video looking around for movies for the weekend. He picked up a copy of this in the foreign section and said, completely seriously, "This is one of the best movies of all time." I laughed, I thought he was joking. He shook his head, "No, I'm completely serious." I could not imagine that he was correct but I rented it for myself to watch alone later.

I watched the movie alone (Hollywood video has the ONLY copies with the song lyrics interpreted as well as the dialog and this makes the movie more enjoyable) thinking that at some point I would call my pal and tell him he was nuts. Two hours later (about halfway through the movie) I called him and said, "I can't believe it- you're right. This is Gone With The Wind with better music and less whining."

So I love this movie but there ARE a few caviats; If you've never seen a Bollywood movie when all the tough Afghan guys get up and dance you will freak; this movie is about love, family and honor- if you don't understand honor you won't get it; the characters are broadly drawn, the music is odd and often disjointed and this was not made with the best of all possible cameras and film speeds. Wow. Sounds awful, right? Well, I'm prejudiced because I saw this on a cold January night in Minnesota and the music warmed me, the tough guys are really tough, the women are beautiful, the singing and dancing is celebratory and it all mixed together in my head like some strange cocktail of cardamom, cinnamon and tea with a chaser of Everclear.

Bachchan is a charmer, the love story is awesome, the prison scenes are heart-rending, the symbols are obvious and moving and I believe there are at least a half-dozen full story lines in this movie. This movie starts out with the traditional dead goat race and is also about a cop story with drug smuggling, race car driving, avenging brothers, abusive husbands, mysterious connections and a love-crazed mom. Horses abound, sword fights, gun play, dancing, singing, an Afghan tribal wedding, etc. etc. It's weird.

I love this movie and while I don't believe it is the greatest piece of drama ever put on celluloid, it is, at least, one of the most complicated and entertaining. It's not fair to Gone With The Wind to compare it really. You can sum up Gone With The Wind in two sentences. You cannot do that with this movie. If you like it, you will spend your life telling this to people who will not understand. Like I'm doing right now."