--- title: "A Passage to India: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/a-passage-to-india/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/a-passage-to-india" critics_score: 74 critics_reviews: 8 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # A Passage to India (1984): what the critics said Critics' score 74 from 8 reviews: 6 positive, 1 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics admire it, and the admiration settles on the same things: David Lean’s unhurried, orderly direction, the scale and finish of the production, and a cast that draws praise almost everywhere. Judy Davis as Adela Quested and Peggy Ashcroft are the names that recur, with Victor Banerjee’s Aziz close behind. The photography of the Indian settings is singled out repeatedly, as is the film’s closeness to Forster’s book and its eye for the small cruelties of the British officials. The reservations gather around pace and temperature. Several reviews find it languorous, and one argues the narrative loses its footing after the courtroom scenes. Time Out thinks Lean softens the novel’s attack on empire, and Empire, the one clear dissenter, finds the whole thing remote and unmoving despite its gloss, crediting only Ashcroft with giving it a heart. The spread is wide, from full marks to plain disappointment. ## Radio Times — David Parkinson Rating 5/5. David Lean's final feature is a stately epic that exposes the tensions and prejudices of imperialism with a sharp satirical edge. The director's powers are undiminished in this lusciously photographed picture, with standout performances including Judy Davis as the impulsive Adela Quested. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-ss95qi/a-passage-to-india/) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 1 December 1984. Ebert calls it one of the greatest screen adaptations ever made of a major novel. He praises Lean's beautiful, modulated direction and the way the film captures the characters' failures of connection. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/a-passage-to-india-1984) ## The AV Club — Noel Murray Rating A-. 16 April 2008. The critic notes that while Lean's adaptation literalizes the novel's themes and shows some of his own prejudices, his old-world sensibility and meticulous design make the film effective, though not as brilliant as his earlier epics. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/a-passage-to-india-1798204088) ## The New Yorker — Pauline Kael Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 7 January 1985. Kael calls the film an admirable, orderly and dignified piece of work with virtuoso steadiness in its first half. She praises its capture of the British officials' cruelty but notes it loses narrative flow after the courtroom scenes. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1985/01/14/unloosd-dreams) ## The New York Times — Vincent Canby Rating Critic’s Pick. 14 December 1984. Canby finds Lean's version respectful and handsome, his best work since Lawrence of Arabia, and humane. He singles out the vivid characters and strong performances, especially Victor Banerjee as Aziz. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1984/12/14/movies/the-screen-passage-to-india-by-david-lean.html) ## Variety Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 31 December 1984. The review finds Lean's adaptation impeccably faithful, beautifully played and occasionally languorous. It praises the performances, especially Peggy Ashcroft and Judy Davis, and Lean's success in capturing Forster's tone of irony. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1984/film/reviews/a-passage-to-india-1200426662/) ## Time Out — CPea Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 3 May 2011. Lean's adaptation is a curiously modest affair that sticks closely to the book's incidents but softens its critique of British imperialism. It features Lean's strongest cast in years, particularly Judy Davis, and showcases his skill with grand scenery and scale. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/a-passage-to-india) ## Empire — Ian Nathan Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 31 July 2006. The film is a disappointment after David Lean's long absence, remaining strangely remote and unmoving despite its glossy Raj setting and elegant direction. It singles out Peggy Ashcroft's stoic performance for giving the film a heart, while noting vivid shots of elephant parades and the Marabar Caves. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/passage-india-review/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/a-passage-to-india.md