La Route des Indes on Arte: Why everyone hated making this movie

The story begins in 1979. Ten years have passed since filmmaker David Lynn filmed when he was contacted by two producers who want to fund an adaptation of an EM Forster novel by title. Road to India. Demoralized by the poor reception of his latest film, Ryan’s daughter, 75-year-old David Lynn is interested in the project and has been familiar with the artwork for many years.

Contrary to the producers’ expectations, Lynn bases his script not only on the novel, but also on the theatrical adaptation of Santa Rama Rau. Moreover, something new, he alone signs the story and gives himself freedom with the two pillars on which he relies.

He wants to follow the story of Miss Adela Quested, who went in the 1920s and married a young magistrate who lived in India, then a British colony. Adela terribly discovers the nationalism and arrogance that reigns among the colonists and prefers to explore deep India. Meeting a young doctor will change his career.

With this powerful theme, tinged with romanticism, Lynn goes on set to shoot, in India, in November 1983. But when there, things get complicated. First, for almost fifteen years he did not go on tour and forgot some codes. During the filming of the first scene, for example, the scream of “action” is forgotten, so that the actors know when to start the scene. The board is shocked.

He then gradually regained his mood, thanks to the producers, who first entrusted him with simple scenes to put in a box to re-learn the direction. Except that Lean is still in a bad mood.

“David committed the crime of old age”Commenting by film cameraman Ernest Day *. “At his age we manage a lot less pressure and he had a lot on his shoulders”. The Route des Indes is indeed rewarded with a big budget, $ 17.5 million, but that is not the only concern. The day goes on:

The shooting was very tense. David had changed a lot, had budget problems and had to compromise. And thought that all was against him.

From 1983 to 1984, actress Judy Davis, who was then inexperienced in filming on this scale and who explains the film’s protagonist, experienced the director’s anger, as he has repeatedly said since:

It was a figure of King Lear, very dangerous. He had an incredible reputation but was not physically fit and I think there was a lot of tension over that. (…) And when David was troubled, I was troubled. (…) I put myself in defense mode.

“Filming was canceled all day because he decided to shoot”, He adds. ““When he just did not feel ready to shoot.”

The cast of the film crew no longer supports David Lynn: “He was an autocrat” Recalls Peggy Ashcroft (who plays Mrs. Moore) and “Pressure on Judy”. A fact confirmed by sound engineer John Mitchell: “Judy Davis and David Lynn have nothing to do”Note that their reports were “In Arguing”.

James Fox (Richard Fielding) goes to the goal: “Somewhere he was quite intolerant of the actors; they were just tools for his excellent work.”

The anonymous technician also claims that Lynn considered himself the only master on board:

He was looking for “yes-men” who would always agree with what we were not. You can do a million things in an editing room, but you can not do what you have not shot.

In this explosive atmosphere, the relationship deteriorates with the second star of the film, Alec Guinness, and his favorite director, with whom he was filmed for the sixth time. Indeed, the actor has to play an Indian, paint the skin and speak with accent. Already hasAfter receiving the script, Alec Guinness had doubts about his character and thought it was not for him. Lenny then convinces him otherwise.

On the set, the shooting script, annotated and well-informed about all the research done by the director, becomes a bible that we have to follow in writing, otherwise there is a risk of reprimanding the whole team. Guinness has been angry several times over this, with Lenny using the script to evacuate any interrogators.

The final cut cuts out many scenes by Alec Guinness, including a long “typical” dance scene. Years later Lin Will comment :

“I was afraid to play an Indian like Peter Sellers. But I’m afraid he did that. We had to cut a lot.”

Despite these dire conditions, Alec Guinness, as part of the team, emphasizes the quality of Lin’s work on this film and his very clear vision of what it should be like. La Route des Indes will be a critical and commercial success, gaining 11 Oscar nominations. He won Sculptures for Best Supporting Actor for Peggy Ashcroff and Best Original Composition for Maurice Jarre’s Music.

* Quotations in this article (except for Lynn’s letter) are taken Beyond the Epic: The Life and Movies of David Lynn Written by Gene D. Published by Phillips, University of Kentucky Press, 2006.