Possibly Britain’s most influential film-maker, David Lean started honing his craft in the 1940s and gave us some of the most iconic movies ever made: Dr Zhivago, Lawrence of Arabia, The Bridge on the River Kwai and of course, Brief Encounter, among many others. The double Oscar-winning director (both wins came for A Passage to India) was master of the visual spectacular epic and his work inspired a whole new generation of directors including Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese and Stanley Kubrick.

 

A Passage to India is adapted from EM Forster’s classic novel set in colonial India and exploring the cultural divide.   Adela Quested (Judy Davis) is due to marry Ronny Heaslop (Nigel Havers) so travels out to India with his mother, Mrs Moore (Peggy Ashcroft). Both women are struck by the exotic beauty of the country and are keen to explore the ‘real’ India. Luckily they befriend the elderly Professor Godbole (Alec Guinness) and a young widower Dr Aziz (Victor Banarjee). However, when Dr Aziz organises a trip to the Malabar Caves disaster strikes and the gulf between the colonial ruling powers and the indigenous population comes into sharp relief.

 

Stunning cinematography combined with the vivid colours of the exotic Indian landscape make this film a visual treat. Lean’s screenplay captures the spirit of Forster’s novel accurately and a sweeping soundtrack from Maurice Jarre is the perfect accompaniment to this brilliant piece of film-making.