Trishna (2012)

Absolutely Fantastic

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Trishna, a loose adaptation of Hardy's 'Tess of the Durbervilles', transplants the story from late 19th century England to contemporary India, an interesting switch when one considers the still ingrained patriarchal attitudes to women and the caste system (class in Victorian England).Michael Winterbottom's bold retelling fails due to the radical act of conflating the Angel & Alec characters into one personage. As other reviewers have written - interestingly, Jay's sudden transformation, from a caring, considerate person interested in Trishna to a man who abuses her and treats her callously, may be a comment because he can due to his economic standing.Yet, this was Alec Durberville in the book. He was not without charm. Both Angel & Alec fail Tess in different ways: it is hinted that one sexually abuses or at least takes advantage of her in the seduction, whilst the other is guilty of sexual hypocrisy (moral values) and guilty of idealising her: the two views of Victorian woman as either ideal or whore.Perhaps it might have been a more conventional take on the narrative, but Trishna could have returned to her village and found 'love' with a village teacher etc, who idealises her, but perhaps, again similar to Angel Clare, fails her when she reveals her secret when he confesses his own debauched past, highlighting sexual hypocrisy.Instead, I found Trishna a terribly passive figure, which probably is true in many senses of women in developing societies, who are subject to economic values & victims of sexual exploitation. The film becomes repetitive, a cycle of abuse that can only end tragically as in the novel.Interesting, but a flawed experiment, the decision to conflate the love triangle & the two male protagonists into one is radical, but does make Jay's erratic behaviour confusing to the viewer.Perhaps, ultimately, the film is not as interesting, radical or daring as it thinks itself to be, compared to 'The Square Circle' & the gender politics of that film.

I am indebted to Sarya-Jayothsna who's review of Trishna certainly helped me to identify with the movie. Having only been to New Delhi and never experiencing rural India I had little idea at to what might be considered "normal" in such an environment.I have always admired the sultry beauty of Indian women and Freida Pinto (as Trishna) added a much deeper aspect to my admiration. The total subservience that she displayed when working at her first job in the Jaipur hotel was delightful - every male was addressed so beautifully demurely as "Sir" with the typical Indian hand gesture of obeisance. The skill with which her manners were conducted was, far from being demeaning, an absolute pleasure to the extent it made me want to reciprocate (had I been there, of course). Far from placing Trishna into a position of being "used," I felt that it inspired a desire to treat her with the same respect that she gave to others. I guess, as a man, I would interpret that as making me want to love her - and that has nothing to do with sex - it made me want to cherish her and let her know just how much value she had as a person. So the way Jay (Riz Ahmed) simply used her as a pleasure toy incensed me. How could anyone be so insensitive not to realise how his treatment hurt?As a simple, sincere village girl, Trishna had never loved anyone in an intimate way in her life and so, when a handsome young man shows an interest in her, it literally sweeps her off her feet and, sadly, there is no one to pick her up. She fell in love and he fell in lust! If ever a movie had evoked a strong desire to lovingly comfort the leading character, Trishna does that.I suppose, because the story is an adaptation of an English classic, the ending was inevitable but I really wish it hadn't been. I was left feeling empty and useless. What a waste!

I understand that its an adaptation of a popular novel. But placing the happenings of the novel in India has done only more damage than good. 19th Century Britain is not modern India!! The way the movie depicts India is very pathetic - there is not an iota of logic in the movie when a girl from a protective, joint family all of 19 years old suddenly decides to run off with this English speaking fellow without having any demands.A village girl in India will have self-respect a million times more than an average girl from the city. And her family will be all too protective of the girl. Therefore it is unacceptable for this village belle to be unmarried at 19 and worse being sent away to unknown place for work. A village girl from India will not so naive!!! May be good adaptation of the book - but placing it in India is the biggest flaw in this movie. Do not watch if you know at least little about Indian villages and their culture.

Trishna – CATCH IT (B) Trishna is loosely based upon critically acclaimed 1800's novel "Tess of the D'Urbervilles". This is a story of young girl whose life is destroyed by the circumstances and love. Tess of the D'Urbervilles is a beautiful novel and the story is more complex than Michael Winterbottom decides to adopt in his adaptation. Here the director only chooses to pick up the poor girl and a rich man who first makes and then destroys her life. He left many key characters and moment from the magnificent novel, which I think would have made this movie more interesting. Otherwise Trishna seemed more like an erotic version relies on sex only. Once you become aware of the novel you will understand that the director chooses an easy way to make this an erotic bonanza. We never gets to hear why Trishna doesn't leave from sexual abuse later or at least tell him that she is felling like a sexual victim but sadly we never get to hear her point of view. She does what she was told by men in her life from her father to the man she falls in love with. Freida Pinto is truly a Revelation, starting from Slumdog Millionaire, then to Red Woman in Woody Allan's ensemble YOU WILL MEET A TALL DARK STRANGER to Immortals with Henry Cavill to Rise of the Planet of the Apes with James Franco and now in Trishna, she has proved why everyone wants to work with her. Riz Ahmed is superb; he is charming, passionate and evil in one body all together. On the whole Winterbottom successfully adopted the Indian atmosphere and also was able to take out brilliant performance from Freida Pinto and Riz Ahmed but I think he failed to do justice to the Thomas Hardy novel "Tess of the D'Urbervilles" because it was never about eroticness it was about a young girl destroyed by her circumstance. If I forget it's based upon this novel than it's a very nice movie.