Les dés tragiques

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.

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.

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

Prapancha Pash (Throw of the Dice) (1929)

** (out of 4)

Royal cousins King Sohat (Himansu Rai) and King Ranjit (Charu Roy) share a love of gambling but soon the two fall in love with the same woman (Seeta Devi) and eventually place a bet, which will determine which one she goes with. This British/Indian/German production has some terrific things in it but in the end the story and characters just left me way too cold to fully enjoy the picture. I'll start with the positive things and you have to mention the downright beautiful cinematography. I was really shocked to see how marvelous this film looked as it appears each shot took hours to make sure everything was correct so that they could get all the details on the frame. Another major plus is the wildlife scenes at the start of the movie as we get to see various creatures in their habitat. The costume design is also marvelous and it really makes you seem as if you're right in India during the particular time that this film takes place. Yet another major plus are the locations. You can't help but look at this film with your eyes wide open as the locations just jump off the screen and that beautiful black and white print is really, really sharp. Every single frame of this film is beautiful to look at but sadly the story is really lacking. The basic plot has one of the cousins being an evil, no good SOB but you have to wonder how so many people could be stupid to what he's doing. I could understand one, two or maybe even three people falling for this bad idea of his but for everyone to do so? Another problem I had is that I didn't care for either cousin so it was hard to root against the bad one and cheer for the good one. I also didn't care too much for the woman they were in love with so that was yet another problem. I must admit that I didn't care for anything in this film story wise and I thought it really dragged down everything else that the film has going for it.

From the very beginning the visuals are absolutely phenomenal, rivaling many pictures that followed in subsequent decades. The rich jungle landscapes play a part in that excellence, hand in hand with the natural lighting and the many scenes of wildlife that serve as establishing shots. But the production design has much to do with the splendor before us: the costume design is plainly alluring, as is set decoration. Outside the jungle, filming locations like Sohat's palace or Ranjit's kingdom are just as eye-catching. The great number of extras and trained animals lend further to the spectacle, to say nothing of the readily evident charisma of the primary cast. 'A throw of dice' would be a worthy view simply for the fact of the feast for our eyes.

Still, the imagery is only half the movie, and it has substantial value otherwise. The plot moves quickly, but never so much as to overwhelm. There's a measure of directness that accompanies the brisk pace, though still the screenplay leaves just enough room for the cast to exercise their craft. The performances reflect a hint of nuance that's unexpected in these circumstances, and welcome. Seeta Devi, Charu Roy, and Himanshu Rai are superb, bringing Sunita, Ranjit, and Sohat to life with range and personality that defies the straightforward approach to the screenplay. At that: it's not a terribly complicated story on hand, yet the elements of drama, intrigue, trickery, conflict, and romance are finely balanced and written well to hold our attention, and be genuinely exciting in the execution. And it all builds to a conclusion that's not just satisfying, but rewarding.

The only particular detraction I could make is the music of the 2006 restoration and re-release. True, I haven't the means to compare the original score of the 1929 premiere. And yes, considered of itself, I think the compositions are quite good. Yet there's a sense of anachronistic disparity between the pristine sound of 2006 and the imagery of nearly 80 years prior that it accompanies. The two parts just don't quite fit together, no matter how swell they are of their own accord.

Yet this is ultimately a minor concern, and otherwise, 'A throw of dice' is outstanding and highly enjoyable. It's a shining example of how, without any need of sound or verbal dialogue, silent films can still stand toe to toe with "talkies" of the past 90-odd years or more. The movie tells a compelling story, with great performances, wrapped up with arresting sights to greet our vision - and it does so in well under 90 minutes. Black and white silent pictures comprise a niche genre these days, but there are plenty that very much remain deserving to seek out and watch again, or even for the first time, and this is one of them by all means. 'A throw of dice' is one magnificent gamble that's well worth taking.