Heat And Dust

James Ivory, UK 1983, 133 minutes

During the last years of the British rule of India, Olivia (Greta Scacchi) goes out to India to be the wife of a British official Douglas (Christopher Cazenove). Bored by the conventional narrow society of the English mem sahibs, Olivia becomes sucked into the exotic world of the local Indian prince's court and starts having a passionate affair with the Prince himself (Shashi Kapoor). Years later, fascinated by Olivia's letters home, Olivia's great niece (Julie Christie) goes to India to retrace her great aunt's footsteps.

Cutting between the two stories, this is a sensitive, thoughtful film based on Ruth Prawer Jabhvala's novel.

Heat And Dust is an insightful examination of the impact of India on its protagonists and fully conveys the eternal nature of India's mysticism and overwhelming mesmerising appeal.

Christie and Scacchi are outstanding as the two discontent, lonely women. Scacchi is particularly impressive as the young bride who undergoes such emotional turmoil as she dithers between her two lovers and yet even on the brink of disappearing into Indian society suppresses her pain as her English upbringing has taught her to do. Heat And Dust is an interesting and beautiful early Merchant Ivory film that in may ways concentrates more on the story and emotions of its characters than on the period detail that their later films are so obsessed with.

"A delight" - Time Out

Review by Alicia Forsyth
Taken from EUFS Programme 1996-97