In the lead up to the 7th Canadian Film Festival in Australia (August 2012), join us as we countdown the Top 100 Canadian Films of the past 30 years. We'll be posting one film a day leading up to Canada Day on July 1st 2012. Do you agree with our team favourites? Let us know your thoughts!
#44 - Fire
Mix together some lesbians, family traditions, social norms and a beautiful backdrop full of colour and life and you have one very interesting film. Fire must be up there as one of the most controversial films about India - and I love a good controversy!
Fire is part of a trilogy of boundary-pushing films by Canadian director Deepa Mehta. Mehta’s trilogy focuses on Indian culture, women and characters that push against constricting societal norms. Each film showcases women attempting to break free of the restraints their cultural traditions have placed on them.
Fire is the first film in the trilogy, and undoubtedly my favourite. We get to see a side of the country that many Indians did not want on the big screen - husbands are having affairs, video stores hand over porn to school kids, and an illicit relationship builds between two very beautiful ladies.
The film follows two families that, on the surface, embody traditional Indian households - arranged marriages, family businesses and distinct gender roles. However, as we delve into the story we see that each character has his or her own unique secret.
When the secrets come undone, the characters are forced to choose between following their desires, or suppressing their feelings to maintain their traditional values.
I feel very proud of Deepa Mehta, who has tackled some very big issues. When Fire came out, it created havoc in India. Protesters stormed Indian cinemas and death threats were made to the filmmaker and actors. The film played in India for three weeks before it was taken down, after being described by religious fundamentalists as obscene, immoral and offensive to Indian culture and religion.
I had heard a lot of hype about this film, so I walked into it thinking it would be a lot more graphic than it actually was. However, the cab driver who took me home after Indian night at my lovely lady-friend’s house informed me that the film available today is abridged, with the more intimate sex scenes removed.
There are some aspects of the film that I wasn't so cool with. For instance, nearly every man in the film is depicted as neglectful and an unsuccessful partner. That flaw aside, this film is well worth a watch, and Mehta should be heavily commended for creating such a brave and thought-provoking film.
My new taxi driver friend told me that parts of India have become a lot more comfortable with issues surrounding sexuality, and I am sure it is films like this one that have contributed to the evolution of Indian society’s acceptance of this topical issue.
- Adele Moleta
“Fire may be a film, but its story of frustrated desires, love-starved women and the stifling bonds of tradition makes it resemble one of those fat best-selling novels that can fill a summer day at the beach with hours of undemanding pleasure.” Lawrence Van Gelder - New York Times
To see the other films in the countdown so far, click here.