Saturday, 13 July 2013

Sholay (1975)


☆ ☆ ☆ 

Sholay (1975) -- R. Sippy

Hey, it's a rip-roaring good time, as two criminals help a former police officer in his (extremely personal) battle with a gang of bandits, led by a particularly evil guy.  This is Bollywood, so characters spontaneously break out in song and/or dance (or are forced to do so, in one scene).  The music adds a lot, especially to the more extreme psycho-drama elements (and they are very extreme).  But still the film is goofy and good-natured, like a Hong Kong film from the same era; the action sequences have that similar low-budget feel.  However, this is very much a western with horses, gun-play and some rocky terrain straight out of Budd Boetticher.  Unlike most westerns, it is 3 1/2 hours long (but suprisingly well-paced).  


No comments:

Post a Comment