"Earth" Simple Story -- Complicated Times

My initial reaction to Deepa Mehta’s 1998 film “Earth” was that it seemed to be lacking the depth that I expected from a film about the partitioning of India in 1947. Mehta’s own neutrality as a Parsi allowed her to stay objective as she described this period of Indian history that turned Hindu, Muslim and Sikh neighbors against each other. In her effort to remain neutral, she failed to represent the confusion, hatred and passion that individuals of that time were facing. She attempted to introduce the experience of daily life, traditions and pressures of India in 1946 through the eyes of a young girl, Lenny. The naïve viewpoint of the child may have proved to be too limiting for this subject matter.

In some ways she was successful. In one of the first scenes, she introduces the audience to the different individual influences in India at that time. She sets the British, Hindu and Parsi together at Lenny’s parent’s dinner party. They discuss the state of the nation and the future independence of India. This scene only gives the audience a glimpse into the political and economic struggles of the time. It makes historical references to industrial development, social enhancements and agricultural changes that affected Indian culture. The conversation, however, plays out as if it were an account from a textbook.

Later the audience is introduced to a group of friends comprised of a local Lohr men and one young woman, Shanta who is the Hindu nanny of Lenny. The young men seemed to be lifelong friends who come from different backgrounds. They are Muslim, Hindu and Sikh. They all have a common passion. They share interest in Shanta. Mehta uses the friends discussions to inform the audience of the events leading to India’s independence. The characters are set to represent several perspectives, but the conversations do not allow adequate development of the characters. There are few shining moments that the director manages allow the characters to come alive. The Ice Candy Man performs his antics in the park. He portrays the part of a “holy man” who has a “direct call line to Allah”. When a Sikh is asked for a connection to Allah—he is denied. There is some heckling from the crowd that reminds the audience the religious divisions that have created underlying fear and hatred between sects. The Ice Candy Man to address the crowd and proclaims the prophesy that these neighbors will soon turn on each other.

The characters are for the most part one-dimensional and the audience is only allowed to begin to see character development as Shanta begins a relationship with two of the suitors, the Ice Candy Man and the Masseur. The men’s personalities are notably different. Ice Candy Man is a man who expresses his passions outwardly and reacts to situations with emotionally charged actions. The Masseur tends to be reflective and introverted. He displays a passive personality that earns him the love of Shanta and, just as Ghandi who maintained a peaceful nonpartisan position, an unfortunate end.

There were moments that “Earth” managed to communicate statements the human condition but fell short of expressing the the complicity of the events of 1947. The Ice Candy Man reflects that it is the human heart that is troubled, like the lion in the cage, waiting for the door to be opened. This is an insight is universal. A Muslim boasts to his Sikh friend that “they” will be sorry when his god gives it to them “up their skirts”. The Sikh replies that it may be the other way around. The Muslim is silenced. I’m wondering, was it because he was questioning his own faith? Questioning if he was on the “right” side? If there a “right” side? What happens if one does not choose the “right” side? If there was any message that I received from viewing this film, it was a simple one. India was an extremely conflicted nation in 1947. They had been living as “invisibles”. Now they were forced to define themselves without any national identity to guide them.