Water
I was incredibly impressed with Deepa Mehta’s film Water. She created a beautiful looking film with an emotionally gut-wrenching story. I think this combination really works. It shows how rough things can be in a place that appears so beautiful. I think the look of the film also carried a subconscious message of hope throughout the film. I appreciate that Mehta considers herself a humanist filmmaker. This is an issue that has an effect on many different people. We can this in the main male character’s troubles.
Also, I have never encountered a scene as powerful as the last when the woman is running to get the little girl onto the train. The direction in this scene is absolutely perfect and effective (it was for me at least). I am even more impressed by the quality of the film knowing the conditions it was made under. Wow.