The Mahabharata

Writing in VL-10/90, I said: "A nearly 6-hour film adaptation of director Peter Brook's 9-hour stage play, The Mahabharata is based on the epic Sanskrit poem that mixes mythology, religion, drama, and allegory to tell one version of the story of man's rise and fall though two sets of siblings: the Pandavas and the Kauravas--the former five brothers begot of the gods and a human woman; the latter, 100 sons of more earthly origin. Because greed and the thirst for power are perennial parts of human nature, the two tribes eventually come to blows over the division of their father's kingdom. In the ensuing war, they are alternately aided and foiled by the often capricious gods--particularly, in this case, Krishna. Recognizing, as I think we should, the quite improbable achievement of Brook, his writer Jean-Claude Carriere, and a host of multiethnic and extremely talented actors and actresses (not one performance rings untrue), The Mahabharata accomplishes the seemingly impossible, and if the pace does seem, at times, a bit slow, or if the occasional threat or boast sounds stilted to modern ears, these are minor faults. Given the obstacles of presenting a long, SFX-less mythological epic to modern audiences, the achievement here is somewhat miraculous." Presented in a double-disc set, this Emmy award-winning saga looks a bit soft on the DVD transfer, but is serviceable, overall, and viewers will appreciate the 52-minute bonus documentary "Making The Mahabharata"--a behind-the-scenes look with interviews of cast and crew. Highly recommended. (R. Pitman)