Jinnah

I thoroughly enjoyed Jinnah and it told the truth unlike Ghandi. The film never got the distribution it deserved in the USA nor surprisingly in England. Why is it that Christopher Lee, the most underrated actor of all time, was never nominated for an award for his superb portrayal of Jinnah? Why was it that this excellent film was passed over? I found it compulsive and once I got used to the strange beginning (angel debating whether Jinnah goes to Heaven or Hell)I was hooked. I would have given it 10 but for the silly scene (location in between Heaven and Hell) with Nehru and Ghandi looking at computer screens..... The trial of Mountbatten. however, was very interesting and clever. If you haven't seen this movie you need to and it is now available on DVD in UK and USA.

While I can't comment on the absolute historical accuracy, this film certainly taught me a lot more about the founding of Pakistan and explained many things I had wondered about in the conflict. Christopher Lee's excellent performance goes a long way towards making Jinnah a sympathetic character despite the controversial decisions he takes; I would say that this is some of his finest acting and I found the final scenes very moving indeed.

The flashback technique works well most of the time, although it's not always clear where some scenes are set (England, India, Pakistan or the imagination). This device packs a lot more information into scenes between the characters than a more realistic timeline would and sets the questions of the founding of Pakistan in the context of ongoing conflicts rather than leaving it as historical curiosity. The cinematography is excellent and you wouldn't know this wasn't a Hollywood film except for the thought-provoking treatment and lack of easy answers. One to look out for.

Jinnah the movie has some artistic beauty in it, even the blowing of sand in desert at the end of the movie leaves a deep impact over the viewer.

Actors have acted superbly but Talat Hussain has been wasted. He could have unleased his talent in the small role he had, like Om puri did in Gandhi.

Its no match for Gandhi,the story telling is different the personalities are different and the camera work is different. There are no negative characters in the film. Very neutral film, without making Jinnah an angel and Hindu's or British the scapegoat.

I only feel sorry for my country men , majority of whom will not be able to understand the story telling technique.

well, when the movie was in process, even the general public in Pakistan was having certain reservations about it. however, it looks a fine product once it comes out. i think apart from certain aspects which can be presented more efficiently, the film is a good presentation of the life of Jinnah.

the movie has portrayed the life of a politician who never went to jail during a whole revolution. it shows that with statesmanship and with logic of your opinion, you need not to be violent to prove your point and thats what exactly done by Mr Jinnah. he never called for civil dis obedience or violent aggression against the rulers, he never called for bloodshed or violence and still managed to create a country on the map of the world. a good learning for all the current dispute holders in the world.

lee was superb, his gestures, his moves and his style shows his research on Jinnah. he shows his skill and his grip on the characters. other actors were OK but the screen play can be more strong. over all a good film, some people may disagree with the creation of two nation theory but no body can object the personality of Jinnah as a law abiding and man of principal politician.

Jinnah was more than a mere politician. He was the most important phenomenon in the history of the Muslims of India. He almost single handedly changed the course of history and created one of the greatest Muslim countries of the world; Pakistan. And he did that without shedding a drop of blood throughout the movement of freedom. He did that through his sheer will power and political genius. ‘Jinnah the Movie' is tribute to this great personality of the previous century.

The film took a long time in making and was surrounded with all sorts of rumors and controversies, but the end product is definitely very impressive. Its narration is quite different from the usual biopics. Instead of telling a usual birth to death story ‘Jinnah the Movie' takes a different approach. It travels back and forth in time highlighting important events in Jinnah's life that helps the viewer understand Jinnah the person and Jinnah the leader. Although the deviation from the traditional technique of storytelling gives ‘Jinnah the Movie' an artistic touch but it becomes rather hard for a commoner to grasp the story line. In a country whose literacy rate isn't something to be proud of, the producers probably should have stuck to the usual methods but they took a brave risk by taking an alternative route. They preferred artistic values to the commercial success and they should be appreciated for that.

Editing and art direction are the highlights of ‘Jinnah'. Camera work is brilliant and some of the shots reflect the director's command in his field. Production quality is way above any sub continent film and almost equals the standard of any Hollywood production. The producers deserve a pat on the back for creating such high quality production with a shoe string budget. Christopher Lee gives probably the best performance of his life and Shashi Kapoor deserves special applaud for working in a film that negates many of the India's political beliefs. Maria Aitken as Edwina and Shireen Shah as Fatima Jinnah play their roles perfectly. But Richard Lintern as young Jinnah was most impressive of the whole lot. His performance is really top class and his portrayal of Jinnah was as close to life as possible. A host of actors from Pakistan television have also performed in minor roles although the pick of them is Talat Hussain who shines in his cameo appearance.

All in all ‘Jinnah the Movie' is a tribute to the great leader who, though called snobbish and arrogant, was respected by all his contemporaries for his integrity and honesty. The film answers many questions related to Jinnah, Pakistan and its creation and one must admit that it does that without damaging the artistic quality of the film. Irrespective of its box office performance and the number of awards it garners ‘Jinnah the Movie' is the most important chapter in the history of Pakistani cinema.