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Fire (1996) More at IMDb Pro »

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16 out of 17 people found the following comment useful :-
Wonderfully tender treatment of sensitive subject matter, 21 December 1998

Author: Hira Bluestone (hira@knowwonder.com) from seattle

This film powerfully demonstrates the struggle of two women in love in a culture so deeply entrenched in ritual and tradition. All this against a backdrop of an India which itself is struggling for freedom from these same values. This film is both political and personal and never too preachy or idealistic on either front. It is easy to see why "Fire" has caused riots in India, but tragic nonetheless. A true film such as this one deserves to be seen by all people of the world, not just privileged westerners.

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16 out of 19 people found the following comment useful :-
A Sensitive Love Story of Two Women Living In a Repressive Society, 26 September 2004
Author: Claudio Carvalho from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

In the contemporary India, Jatin (Jaaved Jaaferi) is a man in love with the Chinese Julie (Alice Poon), who does not want to get married and become a housewife, since she intends to move to Hong Kong and become an actress. Due to the pressure of his family asking for a baby, Jatin decides to get married with the virgin Sita (Nandita Das) in a arranged marriage. Sita moves to the house of Jatin's family, where live on the second floor the matriarch Biji (Kushal Rekhi), the servant Mundu (Ranjit Chowdhry) and the unfertile Radha (Shabana Azmi) and her husband Ashok (Kulbhushan Kharbanda). On the first floor, they run a small business of video rental and food. Ashok opted for the celibate, since in his opinion, sex would be only for procreation and never for lust or desire. Both women are neglected by their husbands, and their loneliness turns into a lesbian relationship. I do not know much about Indian society, but I found this movie a sensitive and delicate love story of two needy women, born and raised in a repressive and male society. The story is never vulgar or erotic, and it is very easy to understand their attraction. The beauty of Nandita Das is very impressive. The direction and the performance of the cast is outstanding. Another excellent example of the Indian cinema. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): 'Fogo e Desejo' ('Fire and Desire')

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12 out of 14 people found the following comment useful :-
Worthwhile foreign film, good acting, 30 April 2005

Author: smatysia (feldene@comcast.net) from Houston

A fairly interesting look at some characters from India's burgeoning middle class. Although India is rapidly modernizing, her culture is not keeping up. This film involves the patriarchal society, where women are not yet truly free citizens. A land of arranged marriages, men who dally with mistresses with total impunity, and women who are expected to tolerate all this, will eventually come up short. I was impressed with Nandita Das, who was quite attractive, and played her character with total earnestness. But I was even more impressed with Shabana Azmi, who I understand is a long-time fixture of Bollywood. Her quiet beauty and low-key psychic suffering was excellent. The lesbian subtext of this film was never particularly erotic, and never titillating. (Darn!) Worth a look for those interested in vastly different cultures.

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11 out of 14 people found the following comment useful :-
A near perfect drama, 2 December 1998

Author: Mark Severin (meseverin@worldnet.att.net) from Chicago, IL

This intelligent, moving and beautiful film is a study in the ways people react to tradition (reminds me of William Faulkner's novels).

The characters all feel trapped by the weight of the roles they are expected to assume, and seek for a way to live within those roles rather than throw them off altogether. But as the story develops the two wives, trapped in loveless marriages, draw together. Drawing on the strength of their friendship and love, they give each other the courage to abandon their roles.

They have found that living within their traditions is no life at all, it is a sort of living death: without passion, without true connection to others, without fulfillment. Although they know there will be a price to be paid for their rebellion and freedom, it is a price much less dear than the sacrifice called for by a comfortable, predictable existence.

The screenplay is wonderful, the acting marvelous. Near perfect!

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8 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :-
Wonderfully Executed Drama with Touching Realism, 24 July 2005

Author: Haroon Riaz (haroon_briaz@hotmail.com) from Rawalpindi, Pakistan

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

The thing which makes "Fire" even more appealing to watch apart from its magical artistry, is its touch of femininism and rebellion. To my mind, the very character played by Shabana Azmi is a symbol of the Indian feminine protest against the Indian society. The name of the movie and the scene when Radha walks through flames in her kitchen are symbloic of Hindu Mythology's Lord Rama's wife Sita's walking through fire for the proof of her immaculacy, as per the same narrative which appears in the film too. The film could be a great inspiration for women, particularly those in the subcontinent, to search for their liberties and to attain control of their lives.

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4 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
"Fires" burn physically, emotionally and spiritually in this feminist film from India., 29 January 2003

Author: Kathryn-17 from Tucson,AZ

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

CONTAINS "SPOILER" INFORMATION. Watch this director's other film, "Earth", at some point. It's a better film, but this one isn't bad just different.

A rare feminist point of view from an Indian filmmaker. Tradition, rituals, duty, secrets, and the portrayal of strict sex roles make this an engaging and culturally dynamic film viewing experience. All of the married characters lack the "fire" of the marriage bed with their respective spouses. One husband is celibate and commits a form of spiritual "adultery" by giving all of his love, honor, time and respect to his religious swami (guru). His wife is lonely and yearns for intimacy and tenderness which she eventually finds with her closeted lesbian sister-in-law who comes to live in their house with her unfaithful husband. This unfaithful husband is openly in love with his Chinese mistress but was forced into marriage with a (unbeknownest to him) lesbian. They only have sex once when his closet lesbian wife loses her virginity.

A servant lives in the house and he eventually reveals the secret that the two women are lovers. Another significant character is the elderly matriarch who is unable to speak or care for herself due to a stroke. However, she uses a ringing bell to communicate her needs as well as her displeasure with the family members. She lets them know through her bell or by pounding her fist that she knows exacly what's going on in the house and how much she disapproves.

In the end, the truth about everybody comes out and the two female lovers end up running away together. But, not before there is an emotional scene between the swami-addicted husband and his formerly straight wife. Her sari catches on fire and at first we think she is going to die. However, we see the two women united in the very last scene of the movie.

The writer/director of this film challenges her culture's traditions, but she shows us individual human beings who are trapped by their culture and gender. We come to really care about the characters and we don't see them as stereotypes. Each on surprises us with their humanity, vulgarity, tenderness, anger, and spirit.

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5 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
Exquisite use of mythology, 20 November 2005

Author: dana-196 from United States

It's worth boning up on the Hindu pantheon before watching this film. Three main female deities -- wise Sita, nurturing Lakshmi and Kali the Transformer -- as well as three main male deities -- grave Rama, playful Krishna and Shiva the Ender -- are all alluded to. Knowing the folklore as surely every Indian member of an audience does lends a richness to the telling of the present-day story. In fact, one folktale is enacted first on stage, as part of a lesson in spirituality, and then in the movie's "real life." "Fire" speaks out against the misogyny and homophobia in the society to which its producers are native, and it does so with a beauty that weaves the message into multiple levels of the viewer's awareness, making it a deeply satisfying presentation. This is the finest film i've seen in the past ten years; very highly recommended!

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4 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
Initiated a thought process, 30 September 2003
Author: qsteph from USA

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

THIS MAY CONTAIN WHAT SOME WOULD THINK IS A "SPOILER". PLEASE BE ADVISED.

I will start by saying that I know little about India and it was this movie that caused me to want to change that. I watched the movie "Fire" without any expectations because I had never heard of it when I watched it for the first time (Summer 1999). I thoroughly enjoyed it. My views on life in India were very tainted by the past and watching this made me realize that things have changed. Even if this is not an extremely accurate account of everyday life in India it has made me want to study why I viewed India as I did and possibly change my views.

The comments surrounding this movie deal mainly with agreeing and disagreeing with the controversial issues that were posed. I did not enjoy this movie because of what I agreed or disagreed with. I enjoyed this movie because it brought out a realization in me that acceptance of one's self is the key to happiness. Jatin found that, Sita found that, Radha found that, Julie already knew. Who was unhappy at the end of this movie? The three individuals (Mundu, Biji, Ashok) who lived in the past and did not accept change as what it is. A constant. This is a great message that seems to have been lost in all of the controversy of what is right and wrong. Each character in this movie did what was best for themselves. What human being does not?

There have been comments that this movie makes the men look bad. Well it can also be said that the women are made to look bad as well. They are cheating on their husbands and using them as an explanation for there deception. And while I understand that we are to believe that they have no choice in the situation this does not ring true at the end. Sita and Radha do leave which only shows me that they were not strong enough as individuals to leave when they wanted to leave. Only when there was someone else to bear part of the burden did they take that step. This does not speak well of the females.

The depth of this movie goes far beyond what is being discussed on all the message boards and in chat rooms. As with any movie we need to look beyond the story to find the meaning. What is the meaning that I have found? We live life every day with choices and we all make our decisions based on differing circumstances. Each decision made is the base for the next choice. Whether we are happy or unhappy with our choice of decision is irrelevant. It is how we accept the outcome of the decision that was made that makes life what it is.

Watching this movie has made me think and given me many reasons to want to watch other movies by Deepa Mehta. I think this movie provokes thought in some individuals, fear in others, and makes us all question ourselves. My description of this movie would have to be this: A wonderful depiction of the shallow depth of life and how love causes the reflection of it to waiver.

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3 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
An unhappy newlywed starts to question her duty to herself versus society, 8 September 1998

Author: JetBoy from San Diego

A stunningly well-made film, with exceptional acting, directing, writing, and photography.

A newlywed finds married life not what she expected, and starts to question her duty to herself versus her duty to society. Together with her sister -in-law, she makes some radical departures from conventional roles and mores.

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4 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
Worth watching., 26 November 2004

Author: Helen Noble from Massachusetts, U.S.

Previous reviewer Claudio Carvalho gave a much better recap of the film's plot details than I could. What I recall mostly is that it was just so beautiful, in every sense - emotionally, visually, editorially - just gorgeous.

If you like movies that are wonderful to look at, and also have emotional content to which that beauty is relevant, I think you will be glad to have seen this extraordinary and unusual work of art.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd give it about an 8.75. The only reason I shy away from 9 is that it is a mood piece. If you are in the mood for a really artistic, very romantic film, then it's a 10. I definitely think it's a must-see, but none of us can be in that mood all the time, so, overall, 8.75.

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