Trishna

The latest outing from prolific and perennially inventive English director Michael Winterbottom, whose previous credits include 24 Hour Party People (2002), A Mighty Heart (2007) and the vicious neo-noir The Killer Inside Me (2010), Trishna is a loose adaptation of the Thomas Hardy novel Tess of the d’Urbervilles and marks the third time the filmmaker has adapted a Hardy novel for the screen after Jude (1996) and The Claim (2000). 

His latest revolves around titular Trishna (the stunning Frieda Pinto of Slumdog Millionaire fame), an impoverished young woman living in rural Rajasthan in India’s northwest.  One night her path crosses that of Jay Singh (Riz Ahmed, Four Lions), a wealthy Brit on holiday with two of his friends, and after her father is involved in a costly motor accident she takes the smitten Jay up on his offer to work at one of his father’s hotels.  A complicated romance soon blossoms, though as the film progresses the seemingly doting Prince Charming soon reveals himself to be cruel and dissolute, and it appears the hapless beauty has gone from being burdened by poverty to being burdened by a warped and soul-destroying love. 

The artful manner in which themes of emotional and physical entrapment play out comprise one of the film’s many strengths, in fact, and that the two leads are so thoroughly immersed in their respective characters lends further gravitas to this beautiful, tragic tale.  Pinto in particular brings immense dignity to her role as the soft-spoken beauty looking for a way in which to balance cultural and filial duties with the search for personal satisfaction, and the manner in which her devotion to both Jay and her family is ultimately betrayed provides the story with much of its dramatic impetus.  

Trishna is also a study in visual perfection: the endlessly evocative cinematography manages to be simultaneously lush and languid, with many of the region’s most notable features such as Chittorgarh Fort and the stunning scenery surrounding Jaipur forming a beguiling backdrop to our heroine’s tale.  The pristine letterboxed transfer is richly immersive and Madman’s Region 4 edition also includes a number of highly worthwhile bonus features, such as interviews with Winterbottom and Ahmed, Deleted Scenes and a montage of clips shot in perpetually bustling Mumbai.  It’s worthy accompaniment to this distinctive and compelling cinematic treat.