|
INDIA'S DAUGHTER Send This Review to a Friend
The rape and murder of 23-year-old medical student Jyoti Singh in India in 2012 has shocked the world. In “India’s Daughter,” the penetrating film following up on the event, there is also the shock of hearing a perpetrator blatantly defend his action because of his warped view that she was an immoral woman for being out with a boyfriend. The film, is important for honoring the victim and showing us members of her grieving family, but also for shining a spotlight on the demeaning way in which women are looked upon and considered fair game for rape and assault.
Director Leslee Udwin has effectively focused on the attitude leading to the vicious, fatal attack. Singh was on a bus with her companion after they saw a movie. That a gang could see this as justification for them to “teach her a lesson” has resulted in an upheaval in India and stirred the fight for women’s rights there.
It is harrowing to see the rapists and murderers, who have been tried and sentenced to death, not showing any remorse. The interview with an unrepentant, arrogant prisoner has a chilling effect. It is appalling to hear a rapist-murderer defend his action as justified.
I have seen a stage work hauntingly recreating the atrocity in a very stylized manner. Udwin’s film is a realistic exploration into the thinking that can lead to rape and murder as if it is an entitlement. The case of Jyoti Singh has propelled people to action, and “India’s Daughter” shines a light on what is at stake. An Assassin Films Ltd. release. Reviewed October 25, 2015.
|