I have took to watching Indian films just lately, because the screens are full up at the multiplexes with the same films filling many screens in both 3D and 2 D.
I have never seen the original film Agneepath is based on, let alone heard of.
This film has a brilliant opening 40 minutes with the young Vijay having his earnings stolen, his dad teaching him life lessons and the entrance of the villain Kancha, simply the devil incarnate. Kancha brilliantly bends the locals to his will and sets about the destruction of the young Vijay life. The part plays like a horror film.
I don't know if India was like it was in 1977 as it was portrayed in Agneepath, but it certainly opened my eyes. A subtitle flash forwards the film 15 years to 1992 and life does not to seem to have changed.
The film at this stage introduces the films second villain who blatantly runs the streets of Mumbai (would it have been called Bombay then). If there was not the grotesque sight of Rauf Lala physically selling children to paedophiles, the character could have easily have been just a cartoon goon. The role is played by Rishi Kapoor, his gang seems to rule Mumbai. How he goes about running his gang is not very well demonstrated and the fact his heir is a smack head and the other one is basically brain damaged it is easy to see how Lala could do with Vijay to help run his drugs cartel and slavery ring. There is some ludicrous subplot with members of the city's government and police force bending to the will of the Lala. The impressive Om Puri plays a police officer who's heart is to clean up Mumbai but this character is under used and forgotten by the final act.
The film has action by the bucket load, torture, kidnaps, slave trading, drownings, assassination plots and a glorious religious ceremony in brilliant colour that leads to a well choreographed set piece.
The machete wielding transvestites is also a brilliant touch.
The songs in this film were not subtitled apart from the odd line of 'Cigarettes are injurious to health' flashing up. The dance numbers start from points in the movie and are used to portray that moment in time and not the usual confusing jumping all over the place, costume changing, kiss kiss wiggle wiggle ones that occur in Indian films.
The film does have its moments of melodrama and they do slow the place of the film down, but they do serve a purpose and takes us into the anguish and hurt that Vijay feels.
The woman in this film are few and far between but when they do appear manage to convince the audience that they serve the plot and are not just there as pieces of hysteria, comic relief etc.
The film ends as impressively as it opens with a tour de force fight between good and evil. The character Kancha needs another film, to demonstrate why or how he ended up as bad and mad as he did, the explanation offered is not good enough considering the stubble on display.
All I can say is if the original version is as entertaining as this one, I hope to track it down some point and give it a viewing (subtitles will be needed).
I have never seen the original film Agneepath is based on, let alone heard of.
This film has a brilliant opening 40 minutes with the young Vijay having his earnings stolen, his dad teaching him life lessons and the entrance of the villain Kancha, simply the devil incarnate. Kancha brilliantly bends the locals to his will and sets about the destruction of the young Vijay life. The part plays like a horror film.
I don't know if India was like it was in 1977 as it was portrayed in Agneepath, but it certainly opened my eyes. A subtitle flash forwards the film 15 years to 1992 and life does not to seem to have changed.
The film at this stage introduces the films second villain who blatantly runs the streets of Mumbai (would it have been called Bombay then). If there was not the grotesque sight of Rauf Lala physically selling children to paedophiles, the character could have easily have been just a cartoon goon. The role is played by Rishi Kapoor, his gang seems to rule Mumbai. How he goes about running his gang is not very well demonstrated and the fact his heir is a smack head and the other one is basically brain damaged it is easy to see how Lala could do with Vijay to help run his drugs cartel and slavery ring. There is some ludicrous subplot with members of the city's government and police force bending to the will of the Lala. The impressive Om Puri plays a police officer who's heart is to clean up Mumbai but this character is under used and forgotten by the final act.
The film has action by the bucket load, torture, kidnaps, slave trading, drownings, assassination plots and a glorious religious ceremony in brilliant colour that leads to a well choreographed set piece.
The machete wielding transvestites is also a brilliant touch.
The songs in this film were not subtitled apart from the odd line of 'Cigarettes are injurious to health' flashing up. The dance numbers start from points in the movie and are used to portray that moment in time and not the usual confusing jumping all over the place, costume changing, kiss kiss wiggle wiggle ones that occur in Indian films.
The film does have its moments of melodrama and they do slow the place of the film down, but they do serve a purpose and takes us into the anguish and hurt that Vijay feels.
The woman in this film are few and far between but when they do appear manage to convince the audience that they serve the plot and are not just there as pieces of hysteria, comic relief etc.
The film ends as impressively as it opens with a tour de force fight between good and evil. The character Kancha needs another film, to demonstrate why or how he ended up as bad and mad as he did, the explanation offered is not good enough considering the stubble on display.
All I can say is if the original version is as entertaining as this one, I hope to track it down some point and give it a viewing (subtitles will be needed).