Darshan - L'étreinte

No, this movie is not boring - it is riveting. I could not drag my eyes from the screen. I find India fascinating, and perhaps that is the key. This movie captures the magic of India, and that's enough for me. The feeling is of floating effortlessly through the crowds and temples and festivals, then standing close to a loving guru as her adoring fans embrace her, one by one. It is magical and touching and an unforgettable view of India. India is a tough place to visit, and most travel shows leave out the best parts. This movie captures the best of India, and leaves the plots and dramas, facts and figures for another day.

This is the story of Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, an Indian mystic who teaches about love and peace and helps the poor and downtrodden. Well not so so much a story but a meditation on her and her work. It is filled with some of the most beautiful photography I have seen in a long time and nicely brings us to a particular place that is alien to most of the world. The film is also painfully dull and boring.

Call me unbeliever or a person with no attention span but this film had me nodding off ten minutes in. I learned nothing I didn't already know from brief TV exposes on the same woman. What am I suppose to get out of this film? That she is a nice person healing the sick and giving hope to the broken? I knew that going in. I wanted a sense of her as a human being (or since some say she is not human a reason to believe otherwise) , instead I got nice scenery and people gushing about this wonderful person who made a deep difference in their lives. Thats nice but how is that going to help me? I don't have a clue. Nothing in this film made me feel anything other than if I wanted a nap I could have saved the admission price and stayed home.

Don't get me wrong I do like films that are essentially meditations, Werner Herzog's Wheel of Time springs to mind, but where Herzog engaged your spirit he also engaged your mind and made you think as well as feel. That never happened here.

If you want to see some beautiful scenes of India see this movie. If you want to be enlightened spiritually or otherwise look elsewhere.

This is a very beautiful film. If one is interested in the rich tradition of spirituality which has been preserved and is a living part of Indian culture, then this will give you a feel for that as well as any film can. If you know nothing about gurus and Indian philosophy then you are unlikely to learn much other than that Amritananda Mayi (Amma) is a sincere spiritual leader trying to save the world from itself. But if you have tasted the sweetness of spiritual life and especially if you are already a devotee, then this film will be a delightful, blissful experience as it does it's best to put divinity on record. The film doesn't do much to convince skeptics but then what would?

I would have liked to see more interview footage with Amma speaking and a clearer record of her amazing life.

If you are expecting a glossy, high quality picture or travelogue of some of the magnificent sites of India, you will be sadly disappointed. The work of a true master in service to humanity is seldom glamorous. Any illusions to the contrary will be put firmly to rest in the very first scene. Those who miss the true impact of this movie, the fact that it's very beauty lies in its simplicity will have missed the big picture. This is the perfect metaphor for Amma, herself.

I have met Amma and received darshan several times. I will admit, that though I have always respected her efforts, I did have some question as to her true motives. This movie quelled any doubts that I may have had with regard to her authenticity. In the opening scene of the movie we see her perform something so shockingly compassionate, that a Western mind can hardly comprehend it.

I have never been to India. The stark reality of the living conditions in this region firmly reminds one to be grateful for life in these United States. Though it may sound illogical, in my humble estimation even the homeless appear to have it better here. It's not every day that we are thrust into "lifestyle of the citizens of an emerging nation." If the sole intention for making this film was to stir the mind as well as the heart, then it is worthy of an academy award.

I am so very upset about this. I have been an Amma devotee for years now and I have to wait months to see this film and even then I have to travel over 150 miles to get there!!! I have checked several websites and it looks like it is only playing in a scattering of theaters across the country and, interestingly, over a period of a few months. Like there is only one copy of the film or something. Whats up with that? Also, I am wondering if I will be able to get a version of this for my home. I wonder if they are going to release it on DVD. I have a few other films on Amma but they aren't big productions. I have high hopes for this one. I can only keep my fingers crossed and wait and wait and wait until September when I will finally get to view the film.