meddlecore "Phantom India: Reflections on a Journey" is an epic 7 part cine-essaylogue (travelogue + cine-essay) in which we are shown the people, places, practices, customs, Gods, celebrations, festivals, rituals, cultures, mythology, traditions, castes, religions, gurus, minorities, food, art, economics, politics, and various ways of life found throughout India, as seen through the camera lens of Louis Malle. Malle does not remove himself from the documentary in an objective way, rather, we are poetically led through the documentary as if experiencing India from the mind of Malle himself- much like Chris Marker, but with more vanity. It is absolutely fascinating being immersed in late 60's India, and seeing it through the reflections of Malle makes it interesting, entertaining and at times even humorous! Malle does not hide the fact that he is essentially ignorant to many of the practices and customs to which the Indians (especially the Upper Castes) cling to and hold so dear. Some of them he finds intriguing while others he finds to be exploitative. Just released by Criterion on DVD restored from the French Film Archives: the series is 7 x 51 (or so) minute episodes. 7.5 out of 10.

charlie-byron I don't often review films but in this case I felt I had to balance the positives I see here. Yes, this is a fascinating portrait of the India of over 40 years ago. It has changed a lot since then, so it's valuable to have this social document. And it is true that Malle's identification of the dangers of globalization and Western values was prescient. BUT the film is also an unintended document of French leftist cultural arrogance, self- indulgence, and prejudices. This is not exactly a criticism - I was amused as often as irritated - but it was not what I expected from the reviews I read. The footage is often haunting and beautiful. But all the while Malle's deeply felt narration piously deplores: Indian poverty and backwardness, the depredations of economic growth, the oppression of the priests and other Brahmins, the "enslavement" of animals as labor (esp. elephants) the viciousness of British colonialism (as opposed to just any version; one assumes the French version was better as in all things) the infighting among otherwise brave and forward-thinking communists, and finally, the unwillingness of the peasantry to rise up in glorious armed revolution! I am not kidding, in episode 4 he literally laments the people's lack of violence. Again, documenting those views is no bad thing. He does make useful political observations that are at least as relevant today. And his narration of his personal journey and evolution, while it rings pretty self-indulgent, seems sincere. He does slowly shed some of his arrogant assumptions of superiority. But you need to be in the mood. I got tired of it by the end of the 1st disk, in spite of the many wonderful visuals.

jnelson-14 as another viewer noted, after 30 years one still remembers the magic of this film. If anyone knows where a copy exists or how it can be seen again, I would greatly appreciated being informed. It would be tragic that this great film documentary is not archived and released. I saw the film when i lived in California and it was shown as a series at UCLA in Los Angeles. I had a friend who had traveled by freighter to India and had shown me his incredible pictures of his travels in India. This film added motion and sound to the still images that had initially captivated me. I have repeatedly looked for this film and cannot find it. Someone suggested checking with the New York Public Library or the Library of Congress, but I have not had success as yet. The film is so effective that one feels one is in India.

brien_k I saw this in a theater on first release. Thirty years later I still remember how overwhelming this film can be for those of us not lucky enough to have been to India.It would be great to see again, though, it's not readily available as a rental. A good investment nonetheless and I look forward to seeing this again...all 7 hours or so.Students of yoga and, specifically B.K.S. Iyengar, can see Mr. Iyengar in the film. I wasn't studying yoga when I first saw this so I can't actually recall anything about him. I've seen some comments through the years about how patrician Mr. Iyengar comes off in the film and, I would welcome the chance to see this again.The complexity of religion, huge population and great physical expanse of India will take you away, often, in 'Phantom'.And, yes, some people do live in trees.Wild stuff.