A Passage To India
Adventure, Drama
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment  (1984) 163 mins PG

7.4 (4,813 votes)
This breathtaking film based on E.M. Forster's classic novel is an emotional and deeply personal story of love and class struggle in 1928 India. Adela Quested (Judy Davis) travels to India to visit her fiance, who is the city magistrate of Chandrapore. She is accompanied on the adventure by his mother Mrs. Moore (Peggy Ashcroft), an elderly woman who is appalled at the treatment of the Indians by the British who rule and occupy Chandrapore. Both women befriend a young Indian man, Dr. Aziz (Victor Banerjee), who -- over-stepping the accepted boundaries between the classes -- invites the women on a picnic excursion to the Marabar caves. In a strange turn of events, the young doctor is accused of attempting to rape Miss Quested.

What actually did happen in the Marabar caves is the central riddle of this lush, engrossing film....

Play
Cast and Crew
Judy Davis  ......  Adela Quested
Victor Banerjee  ......  Dr. Aziz H. Ahmed
Peggy Ashcroft  ......  Mrs. Moore
James Fox  ......  Richard Fielding
Alec Guinness  ......  Professor Godbole
Nigel Havers  ......  Ronny Heaslop
Director  .....  David Lean
Producer  .....  John Brabourne; Richard B. Goodwin; Richard Goodwin
Writer  .....  E.M. Forster; Santha Rama Rau; David Lean
Notes
Goofs:
Continuity: When Adela climbs up the hill and goes into the cave, she is wearing white shoes. When she runs down the hill, she is wearing black shoes. (more)

Trivia:
David Lean's first (and last) film after a 14-year hiatus from the industry. He was so devastated by the negative reviews of Ryan's Daughter (1970), he dropped out of the filmmaking scene. (more)

Filming Locations:
Bangalore Palace, Bangalore, Karnataka, India (more)

Quotes:
Ronny: [on Aziz] He was dressed in his Sunday best, and his back collar stud was out. And there you have the Indian all over. (more)

Awards:
Won 2 Oscars. Another 18 wins & 24 nominations (more)