rmfought Review of Peter Brook's the Mahabharata

Peter Brook's the Mahabharata (1989–1990)

Highly stylized epic for the mind and soul

[10/10 · 30 November 1999]

This production of the epic Indian poem describes the war between the Pandava and Kaurava, opposing branches of the same family. The 5 brothers of the Pandava driven by light, the Kaurava driven by darkness, though they both exists somewhere in the grey area between good and evil. This enforces the point that they are one in the same. Before the final battle, Krishna shares with Arjuna the knowledge of the Bhagavad-Gita, the Hindu equivalent of the Bible. Brooks does a fantastic job - the minimalist sets focus the attention on the players, and the multinational cast make this production a lesson for all of humanity, not just Hindus. It is more in the style of a play than a movie, which makes it more enjoyable artistically. The 6 hour full-length version seems daunting, but it is all well worth it.