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The best performances in 'A Passage to India' were...

posted 16 years ago by nickwilliams992000
17 replies | jump to latest

I think that the performances of Judy Davis and James Fox were the ones that stood out throughout most of the movie!

1.) Judy Davis -- Her character of Adela Quested is shown not only as an independent woman, but as a woman who is somewhat naïve when first arriving in Chandrapore, especially since she is bored of the English life and decides to see what the "real India" is all about, through the care of Dr. Aziz. Ms. Davis' performance was so unique and so complex that I just cannot stress enough about how she should've won the Best Actress Academy Award back in 1984!

2.) James Fox -- I think that James Fox should have been nominated for an Academy Award at the time, but he still gave a rich, engaging performance as Richard Fielding, who is portrayed as somewhat of a defiant character. As the principal of the government college, Fielding has no problem expressing his likeness for all the citizens of India. And when he meets Adela, they pretty much share the same ideals for the treatment of all the Indians around them, as he, Adela, and even Mrs. Moore (Peggy Ashcroft) were all appalled at the racist attitudes of the British toward the Indians. The more I watch "A Passage to India", the more I want to think that there should've been a love affair between Adela and Fielding, but sadly, David Lean's script didn't call for that.

But there you have it, the two performances that really stood out in "A Passage to India" were definitely Judy Davis and James Fox!

Anyone else care to comment on this?

[–] freakaman24 16 years ago

Well I will say that Miss Peggy Ashcroft is the one who stood out most. She had that beautiful meeting at the Hindu Temple with Dr Aziz. Don't forget- she is the one who introduces Judy Davis's character to him. She is still in our minds, long after she had passed in the film.

[–] Hancock_the_Superb 16 years ago

Well add Peggy Ashcroft to that and I agree. Although, I think the whole cast except Alec Guinness was marvellous.

"We can't just do nothing!"
"Why not? It's usually best."

[–] SeisCinemaSeis 16 years ago

Victor Banerjee is without any doubt the one whose performance I admired the most. He deserved AT LEAST to be nominated for Best Actor.

Peggy Ashcroft was good in her tiny but important role.
Judy Davis? nothing exceptional IMO.
Then you have James Fox who also did a remarkable job.
Alec Guiness tried really hard but she was simply too brittish for the role of Godbole.

I wonder why Mr. Banerjee was snubbed by the academy? it was racism or what? I am not talking about something that didn't exist at the time. When was the 1st time that a black man won the Oscar for best actor? Not so long ago.

When on earth a Latino or an asian have won an academy award for Best Actor? only Anthony Quinn and recently Javier Bardem, and you can stop counting.

Things are changing, that's for sure, but not as fast as it should be.

[–] Mixalidis 15 years ago

I think the best performances were by Judy Davis, Peggy Ashcroft & James Fox.

"When was the 1st time that a black man won the Oscar for best actor? Not so long ago."

It was Sidney Poitier in 60's, I think. And I've just checked that the first black woman to win an Oscar was Hattie McDaniel in Gone With the Wind (1939). So, I would say a long time ago.
With Will Smith, Denzel, Forest Whitaker, Morgan Freeman, Jamie Foxx, Terrence Howard, Don Cheadle, Djimon Hounsou, Eddie Murphy getting Oscar nominations (some of them won) in the recent time, I disagree that male black actors are snubbed. However, I think there are very few roles for black females.

I thought that the character of Aziz was a bit caricatural. I often see in Hollywood movies that foreign people are presented behaving differently from whites. You know, somehow goofy & funny, if you get what I mean. I don't like that. Not to take anything away from Banerjee's acting, the character was taken from the book.

[–] emuir-1 10 years ago

The character of Aziz was a bit caricatural, but that was thanks to David Lean who wanted a Peter Sellers type slight comical stereotypical character. Victor Bannarjee fought throughout the film to portray the Aziz as an educated Indian gentleman trying to behave the way he perceived the British to behave and play down the overexcitability.

[–] onepotato2 15 years ago

Non-white people don't even register with some viewers. Bannerjee IS the movie.

[–] Geechee 15 years ago

I don't agree about them not registering. I think Bannerjee makes the movie. I'm white.

"If I don't suit chu, you kin cut mah thoat!"

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] Fleurus 10 years ago

Bannerjee IS the movie.

Hear hear !

[–] Trax-3 8 years ago

Bannerjee IS the movie.

He also gives the hammiest and most over the top performance.

[–] Scott-101 13 years ago

Hey, that's no biggie. James Fox won for Ray, anyways.

j/k

www.examiner.com/x-3877-dc-film-industry-examiner

[–] jemimakahn 13 years ago

Victor Banerjee sucked. He was so over-the-top. I understand Alec Guinness getting it wrong with all those over-stated mannerisms and intonations, but what was an Indian actor doing caricaturising Indians? He ruined the film for me.

[–] blackvenom-1 12 years ago

Peggy Ashcroft was divine. Absolutely divine. She lit up the screen each time she appeared in the film. I also liked James Fox and, to a lesser extent, Judy Davis. I think that all three of them should have been nominated, and Ashcroft deserved her Oscar (though I consider her lead and not supporting).

Guinness' performance was a misfire, and Banerjee was very expressive, but he played a stereotype and couldn't delve deeper into the character.

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] Fleurus 10 years ago

Victor Banerjee sucked. He was so over-the-top. I understand Alec Guinness getting it wrong with all those over-stated mannerisms and intonations, but what was an Indian actor doing caricaturising Indians? He ruined the film for me.

Maybe that could help you to undestand why ( taken from the trivia ) :

David Lean did not have a good relationship with most of the cast. Judy Davis told Lean "You can't *beep* well direct" and claimed he didn't understand women. Victor Banerjee argued with Lean over Aziz's accent, calling him "obnoxious" and a hack compared to Satyajit Ray. Peggy Ashcroft disliked Lean's altering the novel and "lack of respect" for her co-stars.

[–] catbookss 10 years ago

David Lean did not have a good relationship with most of the cast. Judy Davis told Lean "You can't *beep* well direct" and claimed he didn't understand women. Victor Banerjee argued with Lean over Aziz's accent, calling him "obnoxious" and a hack compared to Satyajit Ray. Peggy Ashcroft disliked Lean's altering the novel and "lack of respect" for her co-stars.

Very interesting, thanks for pointing this out from the trivia section.

While I liked the film overall, this explains its failings to me. Many times I've thought that the writer and director didn't understand women, or Dr. Aziz's character, which I too thought was too much of a caricature.

[–] Fleurus 10 years ago

You're welcome !