Aux frontières des Indes

The movie opens in a way Hollywood could never do, just more dramatic and colourful than Hollywood does. This movie gave more back than I expected. It is a breathtaking, breathholding, exciting little movie. You feel like you are really there in India, on the rickety old train. I love that they used old machinery instead of making it unrealistic the way Hollywood might.

I was not expecting much from Lauren Bacall but she also gave back more than was required. Her scenes with the young Indian boy are touching. She obviously has a way with children in real life as well. The song Swing, Swing Together could make me weep, it's so wonderful. The movie is not well known but so well done. It's just a very well done one that everyone can enjoy. There are some questionable characters on the train, you are left wondering why this one is so twitchy, what is that one's secret?

Just one heck of a fun film with a nice bit of writing in the script. The theme of the British being stuck between two fighting groups of people, Hindus and Islamic is so right for the times now (Feb 2003). Then give Miss Bacall a decent part, with Wilfred Hyde Write and Herbert Lom and the rest of a wonderful group of character actors made my train ride across the Northwest frontier a most moving experience.

We are in British India, Moslem rebels want to kill a young Hindu prince and thus killing his family blood line. The British army are charged with the task of ensuring the prince is safely escorted from the troubled provinces. The duty falls to one intrepid Captain Scott, the only chance to achieve the aim is by train, with his allies on board being a rather unique group of individuals, can Scott achieve the mission against the mounting odds?.

North West Frontier has everything a great action adventure should have, whilst also adding in tension, drama and an array of wonderfully colourful characters. The opening to the film is pulsating, as Scott has to fight off the rebels whilst smuggling the prince and his governess out to safety. From then on we are on a train journey that is rich with enjoyment, the tension mounts among the passengers, not least because of the class and cultural differences, and perhaps allmotives are not in alignment? But they must club together if they are to survive this dangerous journey.

Kenneth Moore, Lauren Bacall, Herbert Lom and Wilfrid Hyde-White (comedy gold when under attack) are all pulling together to make a cracking yarn. Directing duties falls to J. Lee Thompson, whose CV boasts "Ice Cold In Alex", "The Guns Of Navarone" and "Cape Fear", so this material was thankfully in very safe hands. The photography from Geoffrey Unsworth is top notch, barren and desolate landscapes beautifully realising the peril of the passengers' journey, whilst the music from Mischa Spoliansky leaves a lasting impression.

This train may well be crammed full of genre stereotypes, and sure enough the patronising nature of the piece is dated at the edges, but this remains a gloriously enjoyable film that the whole family can readily digest. 9/10

I taped this movie simply because it co-starred Lauren Bacall, and while I expected the movie to be good, it far exceeded my expectations. North West Frontier, is a terrifically paced, exciting adventure. Bacall co-stars as a governess who must escort a young heir to the Hindu throne through a cross country Indian battlefield. Helping her to do this is a British solider and a random assortment of civilians along for the ride. Herbert Lom is wonderfully creepy - but I won't say why. Definately a movie to check out.

This film was screened last night on PBS. The title "Flame over India" caught my attention. Noting that the movie was made in 1959, I thought this would be one of the slow paced older movies. Surprise! The movie keeps you on the edge of your couch all the time. Some salient features:

1) The hero is more credible like the heroes and leaders you see in real-life - not huge and invincible like Arnold. Puts his own life at risk to save a young Hindu prince's life from Muslim rebels all the while knowing that the kid will be coerced to fight against him should the British not cease the occupation of India. Nevertheless, his actions are based on his duty as a soldier and as a compassionate human being.

2) Effective portrayal of opposing views - the gullible British lady, Mrs. Wyndham commenting that peoples not under the British Empire were uncivilized and the extremely polarized view of the cynical Indian journalist who opposes killing in theory. The movie brings out the sentiments from both sides. Also well done was the scene of a train massacre in showing the courage of Ms Wyatt to walk among the slain and save a young child that was still alive.

3) Several thrilling moments and some moments of suspense. The ambushes feel very real.

4) The movie was shot in India and it gives a very realistic look - especially the trains and the rural stations. Contrary to what many in the Western Hemisphere believe, the movie shows that not all Indians in that time were illiterate (Gupta speaks reasonably good English).

All in all a great movie. I would love to watch it again.