Visually, it is beautiful, showing India in gorgeous landscapes. The story is set within the difficult reign of the British in India. The relationship between the locals and the Brits is strained, to say the least. It is in this environment that young Adela Quested and Mrs. Moore travel to meet up with Ronny Heaslop, fiance of the first and son of the latter. Ronny is the magistrate in Chandrapore.
The British have made quite a comfortable life for themselves, practically bringing everything they enjoy with them, arranging themselves in a Club. Indians are invited to their gatherings, but are mere decoration used to show off their kindness towards the lesser classes. Adela and Mrs. Moore have no reservations toward the local population and want to meet Indians and also request to see 'the real India'.
They meet Dr. Aziz, who appears to be happy with any bone the British may through him and always acts incredibly honored when they come to call, and Professor Godbole (played - in a very un-PC move by Sir Alec Guinness), a Brahmin in the house of school superintendent Mr. Fielding. To return the favor of the invitation, Dr. Aziz suggests a picnic at the Marabar Caves, which will need a lot of preparation and a strenuous journes, but he is embarrassed by his own dwellings and cannot invite them to their house.
When the day of the picnic arrives, the party travels by train. Fielding, however, does not make it in time as he has been delayed by Godbole's prayer. He is given a ride by Mrs. Callendar, wife of Major Callendar, both archetypal of the arrogant British population who believe that the Indians need to be governed by the British and are really more of a nuisance to their daily existence.
After an unpleasant experience by Mrs. Moore, who is claustrophobic, inside the caves she decides to rest and Dr. Aziz, Adela and one guide move on the the higher lying caves alone. This is where the incident, that changes the tone of the film, occurs. Adela is stumbling down the hill and chances upon Mrs. Callendar, who is on the way back to Chandrapore after dropping of Fielding. The two women go back together, leaving the rest of the party to wonder what has happened.
Upon arrival at the train station, Dr. Aziz is arrested on charges of attempted rape. Adela, sporting cuts from falling into a cactus and delirious from the sun (one assumes), has been left in the car of the Callendars and their sort, who all pressure her into confirming the accusations they have spun. The only two Brits convinced of his innocence are Fielding and Mrs. Moore, the latter leaving India for England before she can give an official statement, a decision strongly supported by her son.
At the trial, the defense alleges that Mrs. Moore has been sent away because she would have attested to Dr. Aziz' innocence and chants of "Mrs. Moore!" are alternating with her having a heart attack on her boat to England and being buried at see.
Adela changes her story and admits to not being sure anymore about what actually happened. She retracts any accusations, setting Dr. Aziz free and becoming a local hero. Not surprisingly, he has become disillusioned by the experience and now embraces his nationality in a new way, ditching his English Sunday best for Indian attire. Declaring Adela his enemy for having put him through all this. When he sees Adela leave with Fielding he also recants his friendship with him. Fielding, the obvious good guy in all of this, feels obliged to get Adela out of the Moonsoon and off the streets, as he believes a riot could break out any minute.
A few years later, Fielding returns to India and tries to get in touch with Dr. Aziz, who believes he shacked up with 'his enemy' and refuses to answer his letters. In the end, Godbole has told Fielding where to find Dr. Aziz and tells him - contrary to what the doctor believes - he is not with Adela, but rather has married Stella, daughter of Mrs. Moore. The two make up and Dr. Aziz waves Fielding and his wife off as they leave.
The film explores the fine balance of the two very different nationalities living together, with misunderstanding and suspicion coming from both sides. There is also a critical undertone towards the British Raj as such. There are, ultimately, only very few Brits depicted than can be considered 'good' - Fielding and Mrs. Moore.
Despite the dark subject matter, the film also offers a few lighter moment, some - especially those including Professor Godbole - are downright funny.
And again about the visuals....
from Roger Ebert's review: Lean places there characters in one of the most beautiful canvases he has ever drawn [...]. He doesn't see the India of travel posters and lurid postcards, but the India of a Victorian watercolorist like Edward Lear, who placed enigmatic little human figures here and there in spectacular landscapes that never seem to be quite finished.
8/10
