Le mahâbhârata

Brooks has done an amazing job of distilling the monumental indian epic into less than a 6 hour film. In the process, a lot of good stuff had to left out, but what remains is pure gold.

The style is spare and theatrical, with fairly minimal sets. Rather than detracting from the sense of immediacy, however, the lack of background serves to throw the characters into bolder relief. And what characters! Arjuna, Yudhisthira, Draupadi, Bhima, Krishna - marvelous characters all. And the 'bad guys' are nearly as good - flawed, but complex and even somewhat sympathetic. The minor characters too are arresting - bhishma and drona especially.

This movie translates the power of myth to the screen better than any other by far. Maybe when LotR is complete that will change, but for now Mahabharata reigns supreme.

It's not just an "epic" or "fable". It is a unique and great work of art. It's a masterpiece for those who can understand the special and complex language of Brooks' narration. And this picture will especially interest those who love and understand modern theater (don't forget - it's not just a movie, it's a TV-version of a stage presentation). I saw it four times (all 5 and a half hours at once) and all the time I was literally mesmerized by the greatness of "Mahabharata".

This adaptation of the original play by Juan-Claude Carriere, which was three hours longer (and was in turn the adaptation of the classic poem, which is 15 times the size of the Bible!) will be, for many, the only version they will ever know of the Mahabharata. But rest assured, the essential is all here: all the wisdom, passion and emotion of one of the three or four truly immortal works of literature. This should not be viewed as a feature film, but as the filming of a theater play. Then you will be able to appreciate better the great work of almost every actor and actress, and the sheer boldness of their performance and the director's vision. A clue is the great variety of nationalities and accents: the Mahabharata is a literary work that belongs to all of us.

Very simply get a comfortable chair and be ready for a magnificent journey. You will get "inside" the movie and not realise that 5 hours have gone by when it will end. This is one the best movies ever, not only it is entertaining but it will help you get a glimpse of a very foreign culture. The characters will talk to you on an immediate and direct level and, unusually, they will stay with you for a long time. You will find yourself thinking back at this movie, from time to time, and compare what you are living in real life with what happened in the movie. Peter Brook is master and I definitely think this is his best movie ever. Just relax and enjoy.

This movie was a MASTERPIECE! i loved it. The variety of characters really made my mind work to the degree it was meant to. I must say the best scene of the entire movie was when she(forgive my memory has forgotten her name)was giving birth and her maid had to hit her across the stomach with an iron rod and then a ball came out of her. BOY what a creative idea! I must say the entire movie was extremely well done, everything from the characters to the story line, nothing at all was boring about it. The only complaint i can give is that it was WAY TO SHORT. there were so many unanswered questions and i never wanted the movie to end! I give it 4 stars and two thumbs WAY UP! Good job director Peter Brook!