Viceroy's House

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Par H @Parhwy Mar 16 Viceroy's House (2017) is a 106-minute-long film I saw on SBS World Movies (Australia, free-to-air TV) in March 2026. Before starting this film, I knew a little of the Partition, of British rule, and of Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. Gurinder Ghanda’s film gave me an insight into the history at the macro- and the micro-levels with both history and drama at play. For a film which broaches the 100-minute barrier, it could have been longer and yet, there is no waste nor absence: I got a window into a moment in time, a metonymy of the big picture. I genuinely shivered and teared-up at the final scene with Jeet and Aalia (the Titanicesque music subdued the impact), and nearly cried in the credits with the two photos of Ghanda’s family. Such was her performance, I did not recognise Gillian Anderson (this is praise, folks). Rewatch? Perhaps. Recommend? Absolutely. 7/10. See more Peter G @Petermovielover 06/19/2023 An interesting history lesson for those of us unfamiliar with the final days of British control in India & the machinations involved in forming the new state of Pakistan. One response criticized the casting of Hugh Bonneville as a more portly Mountbatten figure & actual footage shown does play down the resemblance between the two. This did not bother me so much as I felt Bonneville still gave, IMO, an interesting portrayal & I am not familiar enough with the real Mountbatten to care about the lack of physical similarity. How accurate Bonneville's characterization is I have no way of knowing but in the film, anyway, he presents an intriguing figure with sufficient conflicts of interest in his position to add some substance to the political & moral situations involved in his role as Viceroy. Gillian Anderson adds a good portrayal as well as does Simon Callow (his actual surname corresponds significantly with his film characters behavior) & Michael Gambon, one of my favorite actors & for me always worth watching. I agree, though, with many regarding the parallel love story which, in the way it was played out, did not engage my interest much although it did provide a somewhat upbeat ending which seemed, to me, however, a less than believable outcome to the story. THE VICEROY'S HOUSE, although not a great film, IMO, is still worth watching as a depiction of the events surrounding the forming of the two states of India & Pakistan. See more Andrew G @RT63762767 04/06/2023 The films climax is to blame Winston Churchill for the partition of India and Pakistan and the bloodshed that occured at that time. Labour Priminister Clement Atlee and the Labour party took power in 1945, they decided to withdraw from India and appointed Mountbatton in 1946 with instructions to manage the British withdrawal and avoid partition. The films climax is say that Winston Churchill had a secret plan to partition India to protect oil wealth in the Middle East and had deliberately caused racial tensions and the bloodshed. Winston Churchill did not return to power till 1951 long after the British had withdrawn from India/Pakistan. It is a vile slur on Wiston Churchill who was instrumental in stopping the industrial genocide taking place in facist Germany and it's conquest of Europe and other parts of the world. See more David H @RT78391125 03/02/2023 Some disappointingly flat performances and an excruciating ending with a microphone See more steve d @RT35616104 12/12/2022 The story is powerful. If it was better told in this film, it would be a classic. See more isla s @RT89656869 09/02/2022 I enjoyed the cinematography and the choreography. Its a bright and vibrant film and it certainly provides food for thought, culturally speaking. There is undoubtedly the necessary bittersweet element present here, due to the political climate at the time this film is set in. Hugh Bonneville is probably the first person I'd think of to represent the English upper classes/aristrocracy at the time, so I wasn't entirely surprised to see him portraying the titular character and I noticed Simon Callow played another English supposed gentleman, man of title and honour as well - both actors depict well the, I assume, generally regarded face of the English/British upper class/nobility of the time. I thought it was quite moving towards the end as we're informed via text on screen, that there is a direct link between the plot events of the film and the films director. This is a somewhat memorable film and I felt the themes were handled well, so I would recommend it on that basis. See more Read all reviews

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