THE WARRIOR
UK/India, 2001, 87 minutes, Colour.
Irfan Khan, Puru Chhibber, Sheikh Annuddin.
Directed by Asif Kapadia.
The Warrior was a critical success on its release in 2001. Its director, Asif Kapadia, was born in England and worked for the BBC. The film was co-written by English writer, Tim Miller. It received many awards, including the creative award at the BAFTAs for an English film.
The film is set in north-west India in an indefinite past. It focuses on a warrior and his relationship to the local lord. The film recreates life in the village, the hardships, especially when the harvest fails and the villagers do not have enough money to pay their taxes. It shows the vengefulness of the lord and his punishing those who did not obey him. The film also shows the slaughter of innocent people. However, the warrior undergoes something of a conversion experience, confronts the second in command and this begins a pursuit of the warrior and his son. The son is murdered, the warrior goes into the desert and is accompanied by a young thief. Finally, there is a confrontation between hero and villain. The warrior then casts away his final weapon and retreats to the mountains.
The film draws on the martial arts tradition of eastern films as well as the traditions of Hinduism and life in Indian villages. It opts for peace rather than war, and highlights a kind of Indian mysticism as necessary for contemplating the meaning of life.
The film is extraordinarily beautiful to look at, landscapes, costumes and colour, the editing of action sequences.
1. The critical acclaim for the film? Its awards? A collaboration between the UK and India? An acknowledgment of the historical relationship? The acknowledgment of Indian artists, writers and directors living in England, exploring their heritage? The film's audience in western countries, in India?
2. The beauty of the landscapes, the photography? A context for this kind of mythical story? The musical score?
3. The title, the characters being referred to by archetypal titles rather than by names? The film taking on the nature of a myth, legendary hero rather than a realistic narrative story? The audience response to the plot and characters, to the story - and to these archetypal figures?
4. The situation in the province, the setting in the past? The warrior, the group and their relationship with the local ruler? The village and the harvest failing, their inability to pay their taxes, the warriors sent to punish those in the village, the burning of the village, the massacre of the people? The film's acceptance that this was part of Indian history?
5. The warrior, his character, his belonging to the lord's group, the participation in punishment of the village? The mystical encounter with the young girl, her brooch - given to her by the warrior's son? The impact on him, the recognition, giving away his sword, the renunciation of his warrior status and his violence?
6. The lord and his reaction, his orders to the second in command to execute the warrior and bring him his head? The warrior escaping with his son, going back to his home village, the journey through the landscapes, to the mountain? His son turning back and being captured?
7. The second in command, his ruthlessness, his apprehending a man resembling the warrior, beheading him? The bringing of the head to the ruler? The ruler demanding that the warrior's son identify his father? The identification but the second in command slitting the throat of the son?
8. The effect on the warrior, his grief, going further into the desert, in the town, the marketplace, meeting the thief (and his background in the labour camp)? His taking the thief as his companion, protecting him, the blind woman who joins him, her quest for a lake in the mountains? The second in command and his estimate where the warrior was going, the pursuit, his troop, their killing, robbing, a path of destruction?
9. The encounter in the village, the thief and his assistance to the warrior, the warrior killing the second in command? The effect of this encounter, his throwing away the dagger that he had inherited, throwing it into the water? His continuing his pilgrimage into the mountains, his collapse in the snow? The pathos of his being rescued by the young girl who had the brooch? Her accompanying him to her mother's home, his being cared for? The old woman and her journey to the lake?
10. The old mythological themes of the struggle between good and evil, in the Indian context, of hierarchy, honour, vengeance and brutality? The message of peace, the warrior and his renunciation of violence?
