Herman Hesse’s 1922 novel is brought to the screen with the reverence of a true devotee by American writer/director Conrad Rooks.
However, such is the unquestioning dogmatism of the screenplay, the lushness of Sven Nykvist’s Indian landscapes and the stylised earnestness of Bollywood icon Shashi Kapoor in the title role that instead of a moving journey to spiritual enlightenment, this comes across as a glossy promo for Buddhism, in which self-discovery is trampled underfoot by clumsy symbolism.
Bypassing life in its quest for significance, this is an airless adaptation of an obdurate text.
Tommy (1975) Director Ken Russell was the perfect choice to direct The Who's landmark rock opera Tommy, transforming it into a stream-of-consciousness catalogue…
Sammy and Rosie Get Laid (1987) This biting social/sexual satire was from the same team responsible for My Beautiful Laundrette (1986). Sammy (Ayub Khan-Din) and Rosie…
Go-Between, The (1971) Summer 1900: Queen Victoria's last and the summer Leo (Dominic Guard) turns 13. He's the guest of Marcus (Richard Gibson),…
SuperFly TNT (1973) Harlem hustler Priest (Ron O'Neal) is back in a sequel to the hit Superfly (1972). This time, he is persuaded to…
Canterbury Tales, The (1972) Coming between The Decameron and Arabian Nights in Pier Paolo Pasolini's classic tales trilogy, this bawdy adaptation of Chaucer's 14th-century…
Nobody Ordered Love (1972) This comedy-tragedy tells of the double-crossing and heartless dealings in the British film industry. Hammer horror icon Ingrid Pitt plays…
Looking For Mr Goodbar (1977) Theresa (Diane Keaton), a prim young teacher of deaf children, seeks her off-duty excitement in singles bars, drugs and one-night…
