Les dés tragiques

I suspect the number of (living) people who have seen this Indian silent picture may have gone up a hundred-fold in the course of the last few hours: London's Trafalgar Square was packed to capacity with what we were told was a 10,000-strong crowd, all present to see a free open-air screening accompanied by the London Symphony Orchestra in the premiere of Nitin Sawhney's new score for the film. The turn-out was nothing short of incredible for any silent film, let alone for such an obscurity, and the event was clearly a wild success.

As for the film itself, it's a highly-coloured epic based on a classic Indian tale, and reminiscent of the works of the brothers Grimm or the stories of Scherezade. There is trickery and romance, rival princes, a wise hermit, a beautiful daughter unfamiliar with the outside world, palaces and jewels, henchmen and loyal followers, kidnapping, disguises and an army on the march. There is even the apocryphal cast of thousands -- with elephants! The new score is well done, and is in a sufficiently 'Western' style to be accessible to a European audience while containing an Indian flavour in the solo voices and instruments: the LSO performance was admirable, and was in fact the best live orchestral synchronisation I've yet heard. The actors are both good-looking (where appropriate) and talented, and there is some impressive wildlife footage at the beginning and sophisticated editing at the end.

What I didn't get, to be honest, was any sense of emotional depth: this is a simplistic moral or fairy-tale style story with a great deal of plot and little space for characterisation. It's all on the surface, and a very attractive surface it is too; but that's all there is. The film is entertaining and technically excellent, with lavish production values thrown into the bargain. It never got me involved on any more intense level, though.

Re-titled a "Throw of the Dice" (and appropriately subtitled "A Romance of India") for American consumption, this late-term silent film was doomed to failure as it did not feature Greta Garbo or Charlie Chaplin in the non-speaking roles. But, its dreamy production values and international flavor played well in theaters not equipped for sound, and audiences in India were understandably receptive. The story begins in the Indian jungle, where pretty Seta Devi (as Sunita) has been secreted by a hermitic father.

You will immediately see that hiding the fetchingly-attired Ms. Devi from society isn't going to last because the area also serves as tiger hunting grounds for two ruling cousins - "Good King" Charu Roy (as Ranjit) and "Bad King" Himansu Rai (as Sohat).

In the opening hunt, the latter shoots the former "accidentally on purpose" with an arrow. The former unexpectedly recovers, due to the tender loving care provided by Devi. So, if he is to steal nubile young woman from Mr. Roy, Mr. Rai must take more drastic measures, which he does. The cousins' mutual affection for gambling advances the plot to predictable results.

Irony exists in the line, "I know from your horoscope that gambling will bring you unhappiness." The film's main strengths are its beautiful locations, sets, and costumes. All of this will probably bore you, if you're not familiar with silent films.

***** Prapancha Pash (8/16/29) Franz Osten ~ Seta Devi, Charu Roy, Himansu Rai, Modhu Bose

King Sohat (Himansu Rai) and King Ranjit (Charu Roy) both love games of chance, and they both fall for the same girl, a hermit's daughter named Sunita (Seeta Devi). They decide to duel for her over a game of chance, but when one is proven to have cheated, the other will not stand for it.

The German Osten made a number of films in India from the 1920's through the 1930's. The costumes, sets and scale are very impressive, with a literal cast of thousands of extras, and a menagerie of exotic animals such as elephants and tigers. The story is very basic, though, almost childishly so, but that may explain its appeal across cultural barriers. None other than Satyajit Ray said that no other film portrayed the splendor and beauty of India better than this movie, which is high praise indeed. I liked the visuals, but the story and characters proved a bit too simplistic to leave any more lasting impression. This is one of the 1001 Movies to See Before You Die.

Actors & Actresses from the silent movie era tend to overact by today's standards but the acting in this sweet little movie is commendably restrained especially for an "action/suspense type movie.

The story is of two Indian kings, both avid gamblers who both fall for the same woman played by a functionally beautiful Seeta Devi. One of the kings has been secretly plotting to assassinate the other and take over his kingdom but his first attempt only wounds him. He is nursed by health by Sunita (Devi) & her father who is a man of medicine who has previously left the kings court to live in the forest because he is put off by the gambling.

The entry of Sunita onto the scene escalates the stakes as the evil king uses various methods to eliminate the other & not only take his kingdom but take Sunita as well.

The story is nothing special but as I said before the acting is reserved for a silent picture. Devi in particular is able to convey her feelings with a simple look or facial expression, an excellent display of subtle acting far different from the usual histrionics that you'd usually see from actresses at this time.

Look for some excellent camera work at the beginning showing some of the local wildlife.

A Throw Of Dice / Prapanch Pash (1929) : Brief Review -

A gambling and fascinating Romance by a German Director based on Indian Epic Mahabharata. Now who doesn't know the gambling chapter from Mahabharata in India, we all know it as our culture and we even the consequences of it. Franz Osten's A Throw Of Dice is inspired from the 'Dice Trick' chapter of Mahabharata but rest of the narrative is completely different. Two neighboring Indian kingdoms are ruled by cousins - King Ranjit and King Sohat. Unbeknownst to Ranjit, Sohat is plotting to seize control of his kingdom and wishes to marry his girl. This part we have already learned from Mahabharata but here the ending is different and yes it is a Happy Ending. The composer of the new version said a great thing about the film which i think is the best sum up - "A cross between Chaplin, Cecil B. DeMille and an early Bollywood movie." Yes i mean it is exactly that and if not then anything closest to it. That DeMille's reference seemed unethical to me though, rest I agree with it completely. A fine Romance is captured with its essence and is normalised according to the period and situations. Additionally, the gambling trick and hero's realisation of harms caused by it are one of the major highlights of the film. Not to forget the great villainous character which has everything fit in realistic manners. It does not over-use the cinematic liberty even though it had a chance to do so after having such period set in it and that's what makes it a little special from a common film. Osten has worked very well while catching the correct tone and sense of Indian Culture. Overall, it's a Classic fascinating Romance that we have been loving since decades but it was made much before people started loving this genre.

RATING - 8/10*

By - #samthebestest