City of Joy

I've always been a fan of Patrick Swayze, and this is his best role to date. Om Puri, another brilliant actor, went from Indian movie star to International Superstar beautifully acting out the part of a humble yet dignified Rickshaw driver. And any movie that has Om Puri starring in it is sure to be a classic.This is a wonderful tale about two separate lives who cross paths in the Calcutta slums. One is about Hasari Pal who moves his family from his village in search of work in the city to pay off the money-lenders and to make enough money for his daughter's marriage dowry. The other is about a disillusioned American surgeon, Max Lowe, who quits his practice after a patient dies on his operating table. He runs away to India for some soul searching.The trip is no so easy affair when Max gets mugged and Hasari brings him to a free clinic being run by an Irish Nurse in the slums. While still trying to come to grips with his own demons, Max begins to involve himself with the clinic and its neighbors, soon coming face to face with the oppressive "godfather" of the community. Max encourages the neighbors to stand up for themeselves. Hasari, whose livlihood depends on the godfather, is reluctant to protest until events begin to spin out of control. Before long, a humble quiet rickshaw driver becomes the town hero.What I like most about this movie is that Om Puri is the central character, not Patrick Swayze. It is almost too easy make the western foreigner save the day. Patrick Swayze does a brilliant job depicting this balance by allowing his character's hot-blooded, American nature to boil to the surface. In instances where Max is directly involved, the situation only becomes worse, and Max realizes his rough and tumble ways are only short-lived producing little effect. So Max inspires the townspeople to unite against the godfather, and they learn on their own that they can make a difference.City of Joy has always been at the top of my list as one of my favorite films. A true treasure to watch.

DVD arrived in timely manner. The movie was sensational

The Academy Award for Best Film of 1992 should not have been Unforgiven...it should have been City of Joy. This film daringly takes you straight into the heart of the slums of India. Patrick Swayze is the lead and excellent as usual, but his co-star Om Puri is the actual star of this film, giving such a riveting performance. Om is so good that it feels like a real-life documentary in every scene he is in. Om deserved an Oscar for this. Such a remarkable cast and film. Sad that it's long been forgotten. This Korean made DVD is pretty good quality, but seriously this should be on Blu-ray and available everywhere.

Personal viewing. This was another great Patrick Swayze movie. Didnt hear much about it when released. Really shows what life is like in India and the need for good Doctors. Will watch this one many times. Highly recommend.

This is a film of universal themes and high contrast, and through interaction with natural and man made events, and forming connectedness withothers, the main characters come into a higher awareness than that which they began, and new balance. My reaction was a gut feeling that eveyone should see this - just that realization that we are all humans with many human and divine needs all clashing, crashing and dancing together. Patrick Swayze plays Max,a young doctor who sadly loses a child patient on the operating table. He is wildy angry, shamed and guilty. and goes to his doctor father to quit the hospital. A hint of his makeup lies in the internal voices of his father as he flees, telling him he's a quitter and always has been. This is important to note and ties in with the conclusion of the film. He decides to journey to spiritual India, where perhaps he can find some lightening up, if not enlightenment. He meets "Baba" (father)played by Om Puri, by accident, and again by coincidence. They are both hiding fear and maybe shame deep deep down, but are acting out from opposite ends of a spectrum: Max takes out his anger by fighting back, creating a lot of disruption and discord, and often getting beaten up in return. Baba refuses to fight, wants peace, and is willing to swallow his dignity to try to appease those who seem to hold power. Through the free patronymic clinic, and the sturdiness and sharp tongue of a middle aged but attractive Irish lady(Pauline Collins) who is Chief Not Nurse and real master of the organization, their lives become entwined. Through conflict, disagreement, discord, kindness, helping, and caring, they become closer than friends, they become family.There is plenty of "evil" and "good" here to make a very lively story. The two main push and pull aspects are that Pauline's character wants Maxto doctor for the clinic; he does not; and she keeps poking and pushing his buttons to get him to speak out or change his mind; the second is thetension and interactions between Max and Baba which come under the heading of How Not to Make Friends and Influence People, but through which caring and kindness start to leak out.There were enough scary times when all I could do was hug my cat. There were other times when tears of pity sympathy or even agony burst out; there were times when I laughed out loud or smiled. All of the characters are just so alive in their own authenticity, even against abackdrop of crowded, seemingly unending poverty, but also which had often breathtaking beauty. I don't know how to interweave the family,the funny patients, and the bad guys in ways that can briefly make sense, but they are all fully weighted in the intertwining events and action of this wonderful tale. Namaste, and may you enjoy this film,coming away both a bit stunned and bemused as was I.

This 1992 film must be seen over and over again to be able to appreciate it fully. Did I mention that I am in Kolkata as I write this and that the Patrick Swayze character stayed in the very hotel I am staying in? And that the action took place very near this hotel and that I am volunteering with one of the hospices in Kolkata? Yes, that all makes a difference in the appreciation of this "flim," as one of Om Puri's little boys calls films.But I saw this movie on the big screen when it first came out, and I was a long way from India then. And it touched me as deeply as it does now. The poverty is not exaggerated; indeed it is hardly touched upon. What is brought out is the loyalty of one street person to the next, and the tremendous love between parents and children. A wonderful legacy of the late Patrick Swayze.

Livraison rapide et article intacte très satisfaisante merci

Got exactly what I ordered deception good came ontime no problems

I have been watching so many Patrick Swayze's movies, going thru all that I have in my collection and recently added thru Amazon. I always thought he was a really great artist with many distinguished talents but this film amazed me. He seems to always do movies that have heart. Patrick was living in a city that had a lot to offer, the best medical equipment, but losing a child along with other pressures, he felt he needed to escape; yet life's problems seems to be every where. He ends up in a place called the "City of Joy",that looks hopeless. Among destitution and crime he finds meaning again and peace worth staying, practicing medicine again and fighting for the people that have touched his heart.

Excellent portrayal of India’s lower class struggles. Swayze did a great job as the spoiled American who changed by his encounter with the people.

I’ve been trying to get hold of this film for years, it’s an amazing movie that had a big influence on my life as I saw it at an important stage. This copy is fine, plays in English without subtitles, which is what I wanted. The movie is old and looks very low-quality filming compared to what we are used to, but that’s just because of when it was made. The storytelling and acting are extraordinary. It took a while to arrive as it was coming from so far away, but it was here sooner than expected and in good order.