The Far Pavilions (Full-Length Mini-Series)
Picture: C
Sound: C+ Extras: C- Episodes: C+
The Far Pavilions (1983/4) is one of those rare
mini-series that was cut down and released as a theatrical film, in this case
as an attempt to cash in on the success of Raiders Of The Lost Ark two
years earlier, but very influential.
The theatrical cut ran 108 minutes long, but Acorn Media has issued the
full six-episode, 303 minutes TV version.
Here, a young man is raised as being a native of India, only to discover
he was not, long after he has escaped the clutches of the so-and-so raising
him.
As an adult, Ash (Ben Cross) has to put the pieces
together and in the process begins to fall for Anjuli (Amy Irving, as a native
of India), but many struggles and battles stand in their way. Christopher Lee, Rossano Brazzi, Robert
Hardy, Omar Sharif (picking up another “I was in Lawrence Of Arabia”
paycheck, but in a project much better than Hidalgo), Sir John Gielgud,
Rupert Everett, and Art Malik co-star in what works better in its full-length
version. I just cannot imagine this
being cut down by nearly 200 minutes.
With that said, the adaptation by writer Julian Bond
(veteran of TV’s The Avengers) still drags in many places and there is
some predictability, yet a larger problem is that director Peter Duffell (also
of TV’s The Avengers with Diana Rigg) simply has too much to
juggle. Also, the non-Indian actors in
Indian roles may have helped get the project financed, but it dates the project
quite a bit. It is done with some
ambition and takes itself more seriously than an Indiana Jones romp, but it is
not A Passage To India either.
The result is a good sitting if you are in the mood for this type of
story. Otherwise, you may want to
consider something else.
The full frame 1.33 image was shot by the legendary Jack
Cardiff, which alone would justify theatrical release, but this TV version is
too muddy and from old professional analog masters converted to digital. Cardiff deserves better and so do we. Perhaps a future digital HD version could
offer both cuts and more supplements.
The film was issued theatrical mono and the Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
reflects that, though we give points to Carl Davis for a score that was better
than the usual stereotypical slop we would get for such a project. Extras include text on author M.M. Kaye and
a bibliography of her work, notes on the two lead actors and a preview of the Coming
Home set on DVD 1. Otherwise, that
is all. At least the full-length
version is available.
- Nicholas Sheffo
