10. The Warrior (2001)

Language: Hindi

Director: Asif Kapadia

Running time: 86 mins

Starring: Irfan Khan, Puru Chibber, Aino Annuddin, Sunita Sharma

Company: British Screen/FilmFour/Senator Film Produktion GmbH/The Bureau

Stunningly shot, The Warrior, is located in a dreamscape that could be both historical and contemporary. Ostensibly a tale about medieval Rajput feudal mores centred around the world of mercenary soldiers brutalised by the demands of their overlord and the rough terrain they inhabit, the film could be true for certain parts of India in the 21st century. Yet, far from being either a historical film or a pseudo-documentary about social banditry, the film turns to exploit surreal landscapes evocative of alienation, mystery and miracles to tell the story of a mercenary who embarks on a journey of self-understanding and self-realisation which he attains at the cost of great personal loss. The images are more states of the mind, playing on contrasts between light and darkness, coolness and heat, than about any objective reality out there. Kurosawa and Leone are there but so is the spirit of Jodorowsky-ian masochistic historic violence