Cheap Mahabharata (1989) (2pc) (DVD) (Peter Brook) Price

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Customer Reviews of Mahabharata (1989) (2pc)

From a non-Indian, non-religious viewpoint, a masterpiece
I do not wish to comment on any of the DVD-related technicalities, because I view this entire epic on a 1989 videotape dubbed from PBS. I am happy to find the DVD release available, but I have not yet seen it on DVD. I watch this film about once or twice a year. <
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>I am not an admirer of Eastern mysticism, nor of religion in general, but hearing a different kind of myth/saga to the Bible has always been important to me, since I had the Southern Baptist viewpoint pounded into me as a youth. I do not have to agree or completely understand myth/sagas but I DO have to find them entertaining before I would take the time to bother with them. <
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>As to the interpretation of the text, I have seen some of the Chopras version and can understand why viewers of an Indian heritage would prefer it; it contains most of the characteristics that annoy some Western viewers with all that is Bollywood, yet is obviously beloved of many Indians: odd production values, scenes that appear to copy illustrations that sometimes have nothing to do with the text (such as Krishna loaded for bear as he prepares to drive Arjuna's war chariot). A non-stop soundtrack that even I, a lover of World Music, find (and this is the most charitable word I can think of) annoying. It also contains no Asian, African or European actors, being a 94-part Indian TV production. <
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>However, Brooks' effort is a film of a stage production, it is not intended to explore Great Religious Themes but to provide a forum for his ideas about theatre while allowing a tiny sampling of the stories in this great book to be told, which he is at pains to explain in his interviews. <
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>Some of his cast sound as if they have been taught their lines phonetically, and yet, the sheer physical presence they are afforded because of the camera work somehow makes them fascinating structural elements, a case in point being Bhishma, played by Kouyate. His English was almost unintelligible (he is clearly African) and it is undoubtably offensive to some Indian viewers to see black actors in such roles. Too bad. I do not have to worry about what others may find offensive, I am here to be entertained, and the the fact that Bhishma IS a structural element, and that Brooks seems to understand that not all characters in such tales are fully developed human beings, gives this presentation a quality that makes me want to keep watching, while Chopras becomes a chore. There are many European (non-English) actors in this whose lines are garbled and rushed, and yet each one seems perfect for the role he or she is intended to convey. <
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>Over the five hours, (and years of rewatching) my bewilderment with the cast became fascination. Lloyd and Myers (as Veasa and Ganesh/Krishna)and Mezzogiorno(Arjuna)are standouts, and perhaps the DVD will reveal what I cannot see on my old tape: isn't Krishna always presented as blue-tinted? <
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>Brooks' completely skipping the Bhaghavad Gita in no way harms this presentation, how could such a thing be filmed? and who would want to sit through that? <
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>The camera work and scenic design live in the perilous middle ground of all filmed stage productions, but the choreographed movements of the cast within the spaces provided overcome my usual objections to such enterprises. By choreographed I do not mean a conscious attempt to bring attention to the movement, but I mean the absolute confidence of the actors to work within a confined space, and this film needs to be seen again and again if one is to understand that the appearance of being completely natural in something as contrived as a soundstage is the essence of the theatrical experience. Brooks is allowing himself the luxury afforded by filming to provide a rich set scheme. He could have easily placed all action on a limited stage and used the technical wonders as seen in such productions as RSC's Nicholas Nickleby but he takes another road here and gets the best of both worlds. The viewer never loses the sense of stage production but Brooks refuses to let the scenes be boxed in by it. I consider this a masterpiece mainly because I continue to watch it over the years, and like any piece of art will do, it seems to allow me to learn something about how to approach such a monumental task with the tools at hand. Unlike Mahler or Picasso, Brooks is not creating something from nothing, he has source material of such astounding scope that even the attempt is admirable, but I think the results here are equally astounding. How many films with ambitious themes (take much of the Herzog ouevre as an example) become a task more like taking medicine or sitting through a lecture in a foreign language? Brooks' film never palls. <
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>The music, and especially the voice of Sarmila Roy, continues with me for several days after any viewing, and Brooks' limited use of music is refreshing since most "period pieces" (especially from Bollywood) are marred by wall-to-wall cacaphony.

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Wonderment and Disgust All In One
It is a wonderment that such a disgraceful version of the Mahabharata is possible. I had watched BR Chopra's fabulous series far before seeing this one and therefore was even more horrified...I literally came out frusturated, annoyed and disgusted at the end of this movie. It is not that Chopra's version is far superior because it is much more colorful and actually looks 'maha' as 'Mahabharata' is supposed to be; rather because he does justice to such a massive literary piece. There is much more justice done to the many stories that intertwine and form one bigger story-and also to Krishna's Gita updesh. This short movie does absolutely anything but give the due respect to any of the characters of the Mahabharata as well as sage Vyas. If one really is trying to avoid Chopra's series (though I strongly suggest u watch it atleast once) then get Ganguly's complete Mahabharata in English and take time to read and study the entire piece...but at any cost avoid this movie. <
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>-Like one of the other reviewers wrote...if I could have given anything less then a '1' I definitely would have.

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A timeless masterpiece
It was more than ten years ago that the Dutch television broadcasted 'The Mahabharata' by Peter Brook. First on three wednesday evenings, a couple of months later on one evening with just enough breaks to get to the toilet or get some coffee. This old story about the beginnings of Indian history, culture and religion is a fascinating story, with all the questions concerning life itself in it. We had it on video and watched it at least once every year, but for the last couple of years because the videotapes got worse. Now we have the dvd's (after a long search) and enjoy the whole action, the thoughts, the colors and the depth of the whole play.