things i liked:
- that ending sequence! holy shit! what a way to wrap up a movie
- the use of teary eyes throughout the movie. SLB's got those weaponized, especially Aishwarya's big blues and SRK's "made for romance" eyes
- the wardrobe ---- oh my god, trust SLB to have his actresses decked out in the most gorgeous jewelry and outfits I have ever seen + the way he lights them is just spectacular. that's a man who knows how to appreciate the beauty of a woman
- the acting all around. SRK was so god damn annoying, he played the part of the spoiled, bratty, spiralling, depressed, and doomed Devadas way too well. Aish and Madhuri were literally magnetic and the chemistry between all three of them was insane. the relationships (centered around Dev) are also pretty fleshed out, especially by SLB standards, although both Paro's and Dev's families peter out of the limelight by the end of it.
things i didn't like:
- the constant and visceral casteism. there were waaaay too many comments about belonging to a zameendar family or whatever the fuck for my comfort. even though the movie, on the whole, obviously condemns this demarcation (in a rome-juliet-esque way), it was just getting on my fucking nerves. every scene with the families in it, especially that bahu, had some snipe about the caste of some or the other family. having been around people like that, it was just exhausting and really fucking exasperating. still, i can recognize that it was a pivotal plot point so no major points off for that
- how devdas treats both Paro and Chandramukhi! what the hell, man. the reason i started watching this movie was because i wanted to watch Dev.D but realized i should probably watch this first. no wonder it got parodied - Dev's a fucking menace! a toxic, abusive, bratty, asshole who either verbally or physically assaults the women he's with. There is no way there was enough condemnation in the movie for his behavior, considering how both women keep running after him and literally throwing themselves at his feet. what do you mean he twists her arm behind her back because she's teasing him??? are you crazy??? people could argue that him dying is a condemnation of his actions, but more than anything, that's a condemnation of the class divide i was talking about earlier. his behavior towards these women is framed as not-negative -- which is not good enough for me.
obviously, this movie does NOT pass the Bechdel test. obviously, the female characters are only defined by their devotion and adoration towards dev (except for 2 or 3 scenes where Paro shows some actual personality). obviously, it is loaded with all the masala you could think of and more. obviously, SLB's style (AND WARDROBE) covers up most of the holes in his storytelling.
but that ending sequence, dawg. that's one for the books - the tug of the red string, the diya being snuffed out, Paro's dramatic, graceful, cinematic run towards the love of her life - not afraid to admit that shit made me tear up. If not for that, my review of this movie would have mostly been overshadowed by how annoyed i kept getting at Dev and that fucking bahu. As Paro flees through the empty, extravagant halls of "her" haveli, her white sari streaked with red flowing behind her; as Dev's eyes, barely seeing but yearning for Paro, finally lock in on her and his body lets go; as the doors close between them, as they've always done. My god, i would sit through the entire 3 hours, bitching and evil bahu shenanigans included, just to experience that final scene for the first time.
