Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (2001 - India)

How about settling taxes over a cricket match?

That's the premise. 

Bollywood films are interesting. You can build a stereotype over them with lots of dances or a whole lot more dances.
This one's a very long film; around 3 and half hours long. Minus the dances, you could probably fit it into 2 hours.

So i'm saying it now, it felt a bit long.

The story's well made. At first, I just can't believe the whole base of the story is a settlement of taxes over a cricket match. At some point, that's comical. Now, i don't know if there's ever been a real deal of things over a game. There probably was, but who knows.

I just had a thought of that Sandler Film, The Longest Yard. They almost have the same backbone, except in the longest yard, they play football.

Back to the story, it's basically one linear progression of events with a long the way a touch of a love story. A captain raises the tax twice. This angers the farmers. They go to the higher official of their side to pardon their tax. The captain then insists on a bet via a game of cricket. If the farmers win, they would not have to pay taxes for the next three years. If they lose they will pay triple of the amount of the tax. Then the farmers assemble their team. A British lady helps them, seeing as the conditions made by her brother are unfair. She also falls in love with the central character. Then the farmers win. It's not a straight up win by the way. It was milked for every suspense it can offer, and it was well done.

I don't quite believe the love story though. To me, it felt ok. Plus, i feel bad for the white British lady. Anyway, that's not the point of the story. 

 It's always nice to experience a different perspective on similar things. Now, i know how Cricket goes, a little about Indian culture, the effects of the caste system, and building up suspense is fairly similar in films. 

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