ABCs at the Movies: The Doubles Round!

[southendmd]

O JERUSALEM
Director: Elie Chouraqui, 2006

This film revolves around the friendship between two men, an Arab and a Jew, during the final days of Britain's Palestine mandate and leading up to the birth of the state of Israel. As British authorities in the mandate lose the will to stay and keep order Jews and Arabs fight for control of the holy city and to determine the fate of the region. Based on the bestselling novel by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre.



=aside= Gil
Let's just say "Jubilee" is not my cup of tea.

[MaineWriter]

==synopsis==

Lajjo is a recently married Hindu woman abducted by Muslims during the chaos of partition and taken to Pakistan. There she is forced to become the second wife of an abusive and controlling alcoholic. Her determined sister-in-law, Puro, sets out to search for her, encouraged by her brother, but cautioned by her parents who would prefer not to lose another child. A compelling story that deals with abduction, a widespread and largely overlooked aspect of partition violence.

[Meryl]

Quebec is a 1951 American historical drama film directed by George Templeton and written by Alan Le May set in 1837. It stars John Drew Barrymore and centers on a fictional account of the Patriotes Rebellion, an early event in the history of the Quebec independence movement. The popular uprising sought to make Lower Canada, now Quebec, a republic independent from the British Empire.  (Picture is from Google, not the movie).

[southendmd]

RHODES
Director: David Drury, 1996

This lavish miniseries tells the story of Cecil Rhodes, the British entrepreneur and champion of empire who, in the late 19th century, became one of the wealthiest men in the world. The series chronicles Rhodes' arrival in South Africa as a teenager, his rise to power through the acquisition of a vast gold and diamond fortune, his colonial ambitions for the British Empire in Africa, and his influence in precipitating the Boer War.

[loneleeb3]

Young Mary Lennox is orphaned by an earthquake in India and sent to England to live with her uncle in a cold ancestral manor in Yorkshire. Mary briefly meets him, still mourning for the wife who died ten years ago, but she is mostly left on her own. A resourceful and inquisitive girl, she soon makes two exciting discoveries. First she finds an overgrown secret garden, the favourite of her aunt and locked up since her death. Second, that she has a cousin, Colin, a sickly lad who has been told he must remain in bed out of the daylight at all times. Once Mary and another new friend, local lad Dickon, have brought the garden back to life they decide Colin must see it, a decision that will change several lives.

I love this version of the film. I  love the old one form the 30's too but I have watched this one with Elizabeth since she was little bitty!

[MaineWriter]

==synopsis==

Tensions run high in a Punjab village in the run-up to partition between independent India and Pakistan. Sikhs living in this border town have heard rumors of Muslims assaulting, killing, and raping other Sikhs and Hindus—many of whom are their friends and relatives. Enraged at the breakdown of civil order and eager for revenge, they plan their own attack upon a crowded train full of Muslims headed to Pakistan. Based on the book by Khushwant Singh.

[Meryl]

Three couples travel to Rottnest Island near Perth Western Australia for the weekend. One of the couples announces that they intend to get married and when the bride-to-be tells the others that she is terminally ill, they make sure the wedding takes place that weekend.  Starring Naomi Watts.

[southendmd]

From IMDb:  Beginning in 1837, the year of King William IV's death and 18-year-old Victoria's ascension to the throne, the series charts the tumultuous period in 19th Century England where Victoria comes to terms with the enormous duties that lay ahead of her, while also falling deeply in love with her beloved Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. The marriage and birth of their nine children are featured, as is Albert's frustration by the inactivity he experienced in the early years of his role as Prince Consort. The Queen's very different relationships with her first two Prime Minister's, the resentment the British government felt about a German interfering in matters of state and Albert's greatest achievement - The Great Exhibition of 1851 - are all intertwined in this remarkable love story which ended tragically in 1861 with Albert's early death from typhoid.

[Ellemeno]

The longest running film, theatrically. It has been shown daily at Colonial Williamsburg since its original 1957 release.  Starring Jack Lord of Hawaii Five-0.

Recently remastered:


From IMDb:
I have seen the "Story of a Patriot" over two dozen times dating back to 1958 for the first time at the Colonial Williamsburg Visitors Center. It continues to be an inspiration to me and my family for strength and conviction in the sight of imposing odds. This is a "must see" for all Americans and a lesson for all the World. The only fault I have with "The Story of a Patriot" is that there was never a sequel using Jack Lord and the original cast perhaps during and after the American Revolution. Every time we revisit Colonial Williamsburg, the very first thing we do after getting our tickets is to see "The Story of a Patriot" on one of the big screens. It always gives me chills for the Freedom which our forefathers bestowed upon us at great sacrifice to their own well being. I also have a VHS tape, but now desire a much improved version on DVD. Even so, I will still begin every visit I make to Colonial Williamsburg by watching "The Story of a Patriot" again.

---

Ahh, I squeaked into the round.  I hate missing the special rounds! 

BTW, those "Cheek to Cheek" subtitles were Portuguese.  Love that song. 

Gil, so glad you are making such good progress! 

[dot-matrix]

from itv.com
Creator: Devised by Irene Shubik, based on the Raj Quartet novels by Paul Scott

The lowdown: Widely regarded as one of the best ever drama adaptations, Jewel in the Crown is set between 1942 and 1947 and centres on a public-school educated Indian called Hari Kumar (Art Malik) who is wrongly accused of raping a British woman. Hari is tortured by a jealous and sadistic British officer, Ronald Merrick (Tim Pigott-Smith), who knows he is innocent. Set in the fictional city of Mayapore in the years leading up to Indian independence it explains the complex relationship between the British Empire and its “subjects”. 

Memorable moments: Follow Merrick’s unashamed social climbing as the series unfolds, although there’s a nasty shock for the repellent captain mid-way through. Also look out for Warren Clarke’s turn as camp Corporal ‘Sophie’ Dixon.

In the episode The Mughal Room, Sarah Layton and Guy Perron spend Guy's last afternoon exploring the Governor's summer residence, with seven minutes going by without any dialogue.

Trivia: Although much of the filming took place in India, Salford Dock in Greater Manchester doubles as Bombay. The drama took four years to produce and film and cost £5 million - that's about  £12m in today’s money.
It was voted into 22nd place in the British Film Institute’s 2000 list with Pigott-Smith and Peggy Ashcroft also winning Best Actor BAFTAs.
The original series was shot on 16mm film and has been fully re-mastered.