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Fire (1997)

Facts

Directed byDeepa Mehta
CastKarishma Jhalani, Ramanjeet Kaur, Dilip Mehta, Javed Jaffrey and Nandita Das
Theatrical ReleaseAugust 22, 1997
MPAA RatingUnrated
 

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User Reviews

Average user review: 4.5 (103 reviews)

rating: 4 QuoteThe second Deepa movie I've viewed and it was very well doneQuote
A clash of the old and new. This movie could have been made in any country 50 years ago. The struggle between the modern world and the family traditions. The two wives in loveless marriages find they have a lot in common and become confidents and close friends and then, longing for companionship and tenderness, become lovers. This is one of the most un-offensive lesbian movies I've ever seen. The two actresses make it seem almost natural and beautiful. I really enjoyed this movie. Keep them coming Deepa! Enjoy. September 2, 2008

rating: 4 QuoteWorth ViewingQuote
This isn't Biji's Bollywood. This is Deepa Mehta's New Delhi, India, during a time of transition. Fire is about burning desire-- for passion, for life, for the vision that is behind the eyes. This is not a love story, per se, but a liberation story.

The story line is quite basic: in a middle class family, one husband devotes himself to his swami and vows celibacy while his younger brother, forced into a traditional wedding, continues to see his lover. Both wives tend to the restaurant and their husbands' mother, following traditional roles of subservience. Until they discover, or uncover, their passion for one another.

So if the plot is not the draw, why watch this film? It gives a glimpse of the upcoming middle class (late 1990s) life--the juxtaposition of uberurban cosmopolitan life and traditional mores. It is India trying to grow into itself.
August 11, 2008

rating: 5 QuoteInteresting Low Key Movie about Lesbian Love in IndiaQuote
Two women in undesirable arranged marriages in India begin to desire each other. While male sexually in all its forms are overlooked if not approved of, the women endure more disapproval and social stigma. Interesting take on lesbianism in a culture in which there is no such word for it or concept in the culture. Part of a trilogy with Earth and Water. Earth I haven't seen. Water won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film and is about a child bride who is cast off as a widow by age 8. I highly recommend Deepa Mehta's films. They are not Bollywood. May 11, 2008

rating: 5 QuoteA Must See MovieQuote
This was a fabulous movie! It goes to show you that there are all kinds of people around you that you don't even know! It was a very sad movie however, a real tear jerker!

I was really moved by the actresses in the movie, they really played the parts extremely well! May 5, 2008

rating: 5 QuoteFire is indeed hotQuote
I just watch "Fire" and it's one of the best movies that I have seen in a long time. I'm new to Indian movies but the ones that I have seen so far have been impressive. I found myself relating, if only somewhat, to the women's quandary.

THis is a great movie... the accents might catch you offguard but it will worth the watch. March 26, 2008

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