THE GURU
US/India, 1968, 112 minutes, Colour.
Utpal Dutt, Michael York, Rita Tushingham, Aparna Sen. Madhur Jaffrey, Zohra Seghal.
Directed by James Ivory.
The Guru is an unusual film, a collaboration of British, American and Indian talent. Written and directed by the American James Ivory, it takes up themes of the meeting of Indian culture with that of the West, especially in the form of the pop musician of the '60s. Michael York is the pop singer and musician who comes to India to encounter the guru who teaches in the musical traditions but opens his eyes to the differences in culture. The film was of mixed popularity in its day. Ivory had made such interesting Indian films as The Householder, Shakespeare Wallah. In the '70s he was to make the very fine study of India and England, The Autobiography Of A Princess. Ivory also tried his hand at the nostalgia film about Hollywood, The Wild Party. His Roselands won acclaim. The Guru is an interesting addition to his canon of work, highlighting the themes of the meeting of East and West.
1. The appeal of this film? For what audience was it made? British and Indian audiences? Overseas audiences?
2. What was the main emphasis of the treatment? Comedy, satire, humanity?
3. The emphasis of the title on the guru himself? The role of gurus in the modern world? Western interest in eastern gurus? The indication of the theme? The irony about the guru himself?
4. The importance of the atmosphere of India. locations and people. colour? The British stars inserted in this Indian atmosphere?
5. The importance of India as a place, its Hindu way of life, the approach to life in India and the Hindu background? The theme of the clash of the two cultures? The heritage of India and the past.. its heritage in the present? Its interest in the west? The clash of the two traditions? The differences in mentality? How well were these themes treated? Which sequences illustrated them best?
6. Music as a symbol of India? The westerners trying to acquire eastern music and Indian culture?
7. Tom Pickle as the hero? The ballyhoo of his arrival, his attitudes, concert? His reason for visiting India.. for meeting the guru? His respect yet his casual British way? His being moved by India? And yet the involvement in the beauty contest and the atmosphere of the west in India? His journey? His relationship to Jenny? His concern and his final decision to leave?
8. Jenny: her background,, her money, the reason for her taking lessons? Her worship of the guru? His attitude towards her? Her involvement with Tom? Her living in a world of fantasy, the idealisation of India? A dream world? The significance of her dream and her illness? What future? What had she learnt by her experience in India?
9. The guru himself: how interesting a personality, as a typical Indian, his relationship with the west? His skill his attitude towards music? His liking to be in the limelight? His peevish attitudes and moodiness? The sequences of his relationship with his wives and the conflict? His capacity for violence? The contradictions in his character? The importance of his visit to the guru? The ending and the symbolism and meaning of his walk along the shore?
10. The portrayal of his wives? Their differing personalities, influence on him, the differing attitudes of the guru to them? The impact on Tom and Jenny?
11. The insight into the Indian people, admiration of India? The young, the change to the west?
12. How much insight into human nature does a film like this offer?
