A Passage to India (1984)

Director:

David Lean

Writers:

E.M. Forster (novel)
Santha Rama Rau (play)
(more)

Release Date:

25 January 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | History

Tagline:

David Lean, the Director of "Doctor Zhivago", "Lawrence of Arabia" and "The Bridge on the River Kwai", invites you on . . .[A Passage to India]

Plot:

Cultural mistrust and false accusations doom a friendship in British colonial India between an Indian doctor, an Englishwoman engaged to marry a city magistrate, and an English educator.

Plot Keywords:

Doctor | India | Magistrate | Mosque | English

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 18 wins & 24 nominations

Cast

Judy Davis	...	Adela
Victor Banerjee	...	Aziz
Peggy Ashcroft	...	Mrs. Moore
James Fox	...	Fielding
Alec Guinness	...	Godbole
Nigel Havers	...	Ronny
Richard Wilson	...	Turton
Antonia Pemberton	...	Mrs. Turton
Michael Culver	...	McBryde
Art Malik	...	Ali
Saeed Jaffrey	...	Hamidullah
Clive Swift	...	Major Callendar
Ann Firbank	...	Mrs. Callendar
Roshan Seth	...	Amritrao
Sandra Hotz	...	Stella
Rashid Karapiet	...	Das
H.S. Krishnamurthy	...	Hassan
Ishaq Bux	...	Salim
Moti Makan	...	Guide
Mohammed Ashiq	...	Haq
Phyllis Bose	...	Mrs. Leslie
Sally Kinghorn	...	Ingenue (as Sally Kinghorne)
Paul Anil	...	Clerk of the Court
Z.H. Khan	...	Dr. Panna Lal
Ashok Mandanna	...	Anthony
Dina Pathak	...	Begum Hamidullah
Adam Blackwood	...	Mr. Hadley
Mellan Mitchell	...	Indian Businessman
Peter Hughes	...	P & O manager
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Michie	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Duncan Preston	...	Club Member (uncredited)

Directed by
David Lean

Writing credits
E.M. Forster		(novel)
Santha Rama Rau		(play)
David Lean		(screenplay)

Produced by
John Brabourne	....	producer
Richard B. Goodwin	....	producer (as Richard Goodwin)
John Heyman	....	executive producer (uncredited)
Edward Sands	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Maurice Jarre

Cinematography by
Ernest Day		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
David Lean

Casting by
Priscilla John

Production Design by
John Box
Herbert Westbrook		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Cliff Robinson		(as Clifford Robinson)
Leslie Tomkins
Herbert Westbrook
Ram Yedekar

Set Decoration by
Hugh Scaife

Costume Design by
Judy Moorcroft

Makeup Department
Eric Allwright	....	makeup artist
Elaine Bowerbank	....	hair stylist
Jill Carpenter	....	makeup artist
Vera Mitchell	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Rashid Abbasi	....	unit manager: India
Jim Brennan	....	production manager
Shama Habibullah	....	production manager
Barrie Melrose	....	production supervisor
John Downes	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Patrick Cadell	....	assistant director
Christopher Figg	....	assistant director
Ajit Kumar	....	assistant director
Nick Laws	....	assistant director
Arundhati Rao	....	assistant director

Art Department
Albert Blackshaw	....	construction manager: India
Ron Coleman	....	construction manager: UK
Eddie Fowlie	....	props
Bert Hearn	....	property master: UK
Mickey Pugh	....	props
Steve Short	....	props
Frank Billington-Marks	....	assistant property master (uncredited)
Bill Stallion	....	storyboard artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Jeremy Baylis	....	assistant dialogue editor
Ron Butcher	....	sound engineer
Michael A. Carter	....	sound recordist
Peter Dansie	....	assistant sound editor
Graham V. Hartstone	....	sound recordist
Jack T. Knight	....	sound effects editor
Nicolas Le Messurier	....	sound recordist
Dick Lewzey	....	sound recordist (as Richard Lewzey)
Archie Ludski	....	dialogue editor
John W. Mitchell	....	sound recordist (as John Mitchell)
Keith Pamplin	....	boom operator
Winston Ryder	....	sound editor
Lionel Strutt	....	sound recordist
Chris David	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Robin Browne	....	effects

Stunts
Richard Graydon	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Robin Browne	....	second unit photography
Frank Connor	....	still photographer
Frank Elliott	....	focus puller
John Fletcher	....	second camera operator
Roy Ford	....	camera operator
W.C. 'Chunky' Huse	....	grip (as Chunky Huse)
Martin Kenzie	....	clapper loader
Alan Martin	....	electrician
Bill Pochetty	....	electrician
Chris Pinnock	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Nigel Seal	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Rosemary Burrows	....	wardrobe mistress
Keith Morton	....	wardrobe master

Editorial Department
Kees T. Hooft	....	assistant editor (as Kees 'T Hooft)
Ron Lambert	....	color timer: USA
Eunice Mountjoy	....	associate editor
Anne Sopel	....	assistant editor
Alf Wharton	....	color grading: UK

Music Department
Robin Clarke	....	music editor
John Dalby	....	composer: theme "Freely Maisie"
Maurice Jarre	....	conductor

Transportation Department
Pamela Wells	....	transportation

Other crew
Pamela Allen	....	contact: London
Mohini Banerji	....	liaison: Delhi
Charles Cannon	....	production accountant
Eleanor Chaudhuri	....	production secretary: India
Eddie Fowlie	....	locations
Diana Hawkins	....	publicist
John Heyman	....	in association with
Christopher Palmer	....	assistant: Maurice Jarre
P.N. Parthasarathy	....	government liaison: India
Pat Pennelegion	....	production assistant
Brioni Pereira	....	location secretary
Germinal Rangel	....	couturier
Rex Saluz	....	location accountant
Edward Sands	....	in association with
Maggie Unsworth	....	continuity
Marcus Wilford	....	customs liaison
David Cherrill	....	location manager (uncredited)
Yeti Jindal	....	location manager (uncredited)
Lee Katz	....	production consultant (uncredited)
Richard Morrison	....	title designer (uncredited)
Kevin Phelan	....	unit projectionist: Mercury Theatres, London (uncredited)
Thomas Thanangadan	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• EMI Films
• Home Box Office (HBO) (in association with)
• Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1984) (USA) (theatrical)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical) (35mm print)
• Sandrew Film & Teater (1985) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2003) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar (USA) (laserdisc)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (Europe) (2003) (UK) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (UK) (video)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (2003) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Tec Home Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Blowup  stills processing
• Capitol Records  soundtrack
• Mayflower Recording  adr recording
• National Maritime Museum  ship models and paintings
• Optical Film Effects  titles
• Peerless Camera Company  opticals
• Pinewood Studios  post production at (as Pinewood Studios, Iver, Buckinghamshire, England)
• Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, The  music performed by (as The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra)
• Studios CTS  music recorded at

Also Known As:

David Lean's Film of a Passage to India (UK) (complete title)

Runtime:

163 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English | Hindi

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Norway:12 | West Germany:6 (f) | Brazil:Livre | UK:PG (video rating) (1987) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Chile:TE | Finland:K-11 (DVD rating) | Sweden:11 | USA:PG | Ireland:PG | UK:PG | Singapore:PG | Netherlands:AL

Filming Locations:

Bangalore Palace, Bangalore, Karnataka, India

Company:

EMI Films

Trivia:

The relationship between David Lean and Alec Guinness deteriorated during the making of the movie. The final straw came for Guinness when he found out that a large chunk of his scenes had been left on the cutting floor by Lean. Neither man ever met or spoke to the other again.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Adela, Mrs. Moore, and Dr. Aziz are riding the elephant, the first close-up shot of Adela and Dr. Aziz shows certain landmarks on the rock in the background. The next shot is a long shot of the elephant's feet as it walks. The third shot is another close-up of Adela and Dr. Aziz passing the same landmarks at the same starting point.

Quotes:

Das: [Ali is carrying on during the trial] Please, this is no way to defend your case!
Ali: I am not defending a case - and YOU are not trying one! We are both slaves!
Das: Mr. Mahmoud Ali, if you don't calm down, I will have to exercise my authority.
Ali: Do so! This trial is a farce!
[throws papers off the desk]
Ali: I'm going! I've ruined my career!
[to Aziz]
Ali: Farewell my friend!
Ali: Mrs. Moore! Where are you, Mrs. Moore?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Indiana Jones: Making the Trilogy (2003) (V)

Soundtrack:

Tea For Two

Heavy-Handed British Snobbery Film

The first 45 minutes of this was great, thanks to some wonderful cinematography, which is no surprise since it is directed by one of the best ever: David Lean. The muted colors were pleasing to the eye in a very peaceful way.

However, once the trip to the caves got underway, the movie began to become unappealing. The gist of the story - a young woman (Judy Davis) accusing an Indian of raping her in the cave - doesn't happen until halfway through this 163- minute film and even that is under question because nothing is ever shown. The rest of the film is a talky bore with the typical theme is so many of modern-day British films: class snobbery.

Also, Alec Guiness, no matter how much makeup he puts on, does not pass for a credible Indian man. It reminded me of all the white men playing American Indians back in the '30s-50s. In addition, we get the heavy-handed plug for re- incarnation and other obvious Liberal theological leanings.

An overblown, overrated English literary piece. Stick with the Merchant-Ivory films for similar but much better efforts.