Border
1997 · Directed by J. P. Dutta
Original language: Hindi
- history
- action
- war
- drama
The story
Amidst the 1971 Indo-Pak war, a company of 120 Indian soldiers stationed at the border region of Longewala in Rajasthan must defend their post through the night against two thousand Pakistani troops armed with tanks. Based on the true events of the Battle of Longewala.
What it’s like
Wide desert vistas in harsh, sun-bleached daylight give way to dusty, amber-lit dusk and then to long stretches of night lit by flares, tracer fire and the orange glow of burning vehicles. Camera work is sweeping and kinetic in the set pieces, with slow pans across sand dunes and tight shots of sweating faces in khaki, while the quieter scenes in the bunker sit in hard, dim lamplight. Sound is dominated by engines, gunfire and a loud, anthemic score, with patriotic songs breaking into the rhythm between battles. The vibe is stirring and sun-scorched, with a steady build of tension, and its intensity is high: sustained war violence, shelling, explosions and soldiers dying in combat, though it stays with the fight rather than lingering on gore. The emotional register is earnest, proud and heavy with sacrifice, following a small band of men and their commanders as they hold a fragile line through one long night, and it suits a weekend war-film marathon or a rousing history night. It is for viewers who want a large-scale, sincerely patriotic Indian war epic.
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