The Mahabharata [DVD] [1989]

I fell in love with this film in the mid 90's after discovering it on VHS (3 tapes) in my local library (Orlando, FL in those days).This is likely the most accessible production of an Indian epic for a Western / English - speaking audience.After looking for an affordable full version DVD of it (and encountering overpriced abridged editions! - I'm an American living in Japan) I suddenly had the revelation of checking Amazon UK !!!I just received my very nice 2 disc, BFI (British Film Institute) Region 2 DVD, w/ 312 minutes running time (w/ optional subtitles for the hearing impaired). It comes with a nice 22 page color booklet with words by writer Jean-Claude Carriere and Director/writer Peter Brook, a Synopsis of the story and it's 3 main chapters - The Game of Dice, Exile in the Forest, and The War.Yes, it is region 2 (playable on Europe and Japan DVD players). However, it does also play on my iMac computer; so I think it is a nice option for some American or other international fans who want the full version. Please visit Amazon UK and search Peter Brooks Mahabharata, you'll find it, and for a reasonable price (around $20 US). The DVD cover shows the character Bhishma being carried on an arrow -covered bier.Hope this helps some old fans who've been wanting this and some new fans too! Americans don't need be shy to order through Amazon UK, they can convert to US dollars at checkout. You can check the net to convert British pounds to US dollars beforehand also.If you have an interest in Indian or Oriental philosophy, religion or myth then this is essential viewing.Do not expect a splashy Hollywood (or even Bollywood) movie! This is an austere and simple set design, a 312 min. (Around 5 hour ) film production of what was originally a 9 hour play (over 3 nights). Do not expect wild special effects, musical numbers or blue painted gods dripping in pasteboard gold. This is all about the acting, which is great, and the story is brought to life by English speaking characters - the actors are the set pieces themselves. Stunning international cast truly gives this Indian epic a universal message to mankind. Suitable for viewing by all ages.

FANTASIC AND AWE INSPIRING-- HIGHLY RECOMMENDED !!!

Peter Brook is amazing. And findng this DVD was a stroke of luck. I had tried streaming the production, but it was beyond the capacity of my internet connection. I am now watching it on my television monitor, but given my DVD player is 30 years old, I am getting some distortion. Never mind, I can still see the play.The Mahabharata is one of the world's great epic stories. I got interested when I read the novel "Palace of Illusions", which tells the outline of the tale from the point of view of Draupati, the wife of the Pandava brothers and is brilliant. The novel will give you an outline of the main plot -- an epic which takes twelve nights to recite has plenty of subplots. The play condenses the telling into 5 hours, but is told from the point of view of the Pandava brothers. (Of course, they won the war. We don't get retellings of the Illiad from the point of view of the Trojans, do we?) So, this play from the point of view of the brothers gives more depth into the characters of the males in the story . . . The acting, the direction, the casting, the stage settings, etc are wonderful for helping to visualise the story.We had some trouble finding the English subtitles and/or version that is dubbed, but I put that down to the age of my DVD player and the fact that the supporting leaflet for the DVD is all in German, which we don't speak. It was worth persisting. I am now looking forward to the third part of the story, the war itself, but waiting until I feel relaxed enough to deal with the violence and gore.

I remember when this was first produced in Glasgow all those years ago and this film version is pretty good. I just wanted a DVD because I had nothing to play my VHS on. Really interesting as it revealed how acting styles have changed since original production.

Not a Hollywood movie, but an English language film based on the theatre play, and in three parts, each just under 2 hours long. So don't expect SFX or even outdoor scenes. It is a religious allegory rather than an adventure story, and at times very wordy. Having said that, the staging itself is excellent and the dramatic elements are very powerful, conveying the characters' internal moral conflicts to great effect, I felt that the multi-ethnic cast was a positive, enhancing the universality of the underlying messages. Maybe not for the academic experts or the purists, but I would recommend it to anyone who is open-mindedly sympathetic to broadly religious, and especially Hindu or Buddhist philosophy. Hugely ambitious, and personally I loved it.