When it comes to God, we are all deaf and blind! None of us have ever seen him or heard of him.Ever seen a complete movie? You could say YES if you have seen BLACK, the Hindi movie of 2005 that stamped the authority that the Indian movie industry is not devoid of making people sit without fight, songs and comedy scenes.Every scene in the movie is sculpted to perfection. The initial handicap of the parents not realizing what the problem is with their special child. The portrayal of agony when their daughter was differently handled by a complete stranger who is willing to break the protective shell of their beloved one, the tears that come out of joy when their child makes a minor progress, the care and love the teacher shows to help the parents come out their mental blocks and realize what their child really wants, what she really is...And the attitude of the child that changes from frustration, dependence, sorrow, ignorance to understand and move in the path the teacher wants her to go.. in search of light.. not to see, not to hear, not to speak but just to feel it!!! and he indeed brought the light!The performances by BigB and Rani mukherjee were commendable. I would bet that they would not only rate this performance of their's at the top and also have to struggle a lot in the upcoming opportunities if they get one to surpass this. They mainly made an impact because of the cast surrounding them. This is definitely not a movie run by two people with their strong display but also ably helped by the mother, father and most importantly her sister. No pillar strong enough without the sand particles filling the gap!Kudos to the man of the movie, Sanjay Leela Bhansali for providing an emotionally striking movie. People are made to think that Emotional movies are a slow and boring enterprise. But the myth is broken by this astounding narration. Never did the movie flinch, not even a second. The people were rooted to their seats. This movie where the teacher takes his student towards the path of light will make your heart heavy. Tears will dribble down from your eyes even when you try to convince yourself that this is just a movie. But you will never feel embarrassed about it because you will not be the only one.What I am trying to establish here is that, this movie is just not another tear-jerker. Here you will not be moved by the sorrow scenes where someone dies but with the display of joy at the success after a long hard fought battle. Tears will normally be salty but the tear of joy will be as sweet as the success itself.And again a film to prove that 'Actions speak louder than words'

Again, The Left Elbow Index is overpowered by a spectacular film simply because BLACK exceeds the highest ratings the index can provide. In every area of film making considered--acting, plot, production sets, character development, artistry, dialogue, and continuity--this film receives a 10. The acting is intense, dramatic, and emotional. As Sahai, Amitabh Bachchan is extraordinary. His character never wavers from its intended goal to teach Michelle, so much so that a whole new definition of reacher is created. Rani Mukherjee, as Michelle, redefines tragedy as triumph with a spellbinding performance. As young Michelle, Ayesha Kapoor is so convincing that the viewer is unable to turn from the screen during her scenes. One is amazed at how so young an actress can act so well. And, as the long suffering Catherine, Shernaz Patel can bring tears to your eyes whether she is unhappy or elated. Like the main characters, the minor ones also perform on a high level. Attention to the plot never waivers, with the only question being how far the teacher can lead his student out of the blackness. The production sets are breathtaking, whether green-screen or otherwise. They are accurate and precise, and they set the tone in every instance. Character development is essential to good drama, and the dramatic element of recognition (change over time) is abundant. In a word, Michelle not only changes, she changes all with whom she contacts. Only in Shakespeare does one find the like. The artistry is simply overpowering, not only in the sets but what is included therein. For example, early in the film lines from Robert Frost's "Stopping by the Wood on a Snowy Evening" appear on Sahai's wall. He indeed has miles to go before he sleeps. And, Catherine's emotional morass is well expressed by a Russian iconic altarpiece of the "Pieta." As director, Sanjay Leela Bhansali weaves light and darkness, snow and rain, indoors and outdoors into a grand scheme of existence. Dialogue is exceptional, and many lines are profound and prophetic, such as "Children loved playing pranks on me, so did God" (Michelle), "She is suffocating in her darkness." (Catherine), or Sahai's " Life is like ice cream, enjoy it before it melts." Continuity is enforced not only with the visual elements in the film, but also with the Music, which is sophisticated and well-positioned. Keep in mind that a rating of 10 on The Left Flbow Index is very high, with 5 as average, and 1 as very poor, thereby judging films on a somewhat normal distribution curve. BLACK is truly in a class by itself. This film is very strongly recommended.

Sanjay Leeela Bhansali's Black is definitely a good film. It is brilliantly scripted, made and executed, and it is also profound and complex. Many have called it a pretentious show, and indeed, that's something very obvious and annoying. I'm sure Bhansali from the very outset had planned to get many awards, five-star reviews, and "the-best-filmmaker-in-the-country" titles, but that said, nobody can completely begrudge him since this movie is as impressive and well-invested as it is ostentatious, and it deserves the hype. Let's start with saying that technically and visually Black is a treat. It boasts of fantastic sets and wonderful costumes, and the cinematography is incredibly good. All these, along with the superb background score, create a beautifully dark film. Having said that, this may be the exact reason why many viewers found it hard to relate to, and that's something I can easily understand, particularly after having seen his best feature to date, Khamoshi: The Musical, in which everything was kept simple. Here there's no simplicity: everything is lavish, big, grandiose - and that's why it's often labelled pretentious. The film is emotional yet unsentimental, which is good, but then, one of its main flaws is the fact that more than once it resorts to emotional manipulation, trying to forcibly wring tears.Well, one thing is sure and it is that you can always expect good acting in a SLB film, particularly when it has an Amitabh Bachchan. Bachchan's performance is out of this world. His character goes through many phases, and each time you feel he's sinking into it more and more, so much that no words can be found to describe it. Seeing an actor of his calibre still being there, and playing a part with such passion, intensity, emotion, anger and hunger, makes one believe that the sky is the limit. Along with Yuva, Hum Tum and Veer-Zaara, Black is a film that constructs Rani Mukherjee's transformation from an average performer to a mature actress. She plays the character brilliantly. The scene which had her crying on the phone to her mom, is one of her career-best acts. It's cruel that she is cast opposite Bachchan, as she can't take the whole credit to herself, and well, frankly speaking, in my view her role is not as powerful as his, as it is a technical part that requires extensive training rather than soul. It's still a memorable performance, and in her case, if the sky is the limit, Black was probably the sky. Without taking anything from Mukherjee, I was more impressed and amazed by the far more superior performance of Ayesha Kapur, who played the young Michelle to perfection. Kapur is simply flawless in this role.Sanjay Leela Bhansali is a crafted filmmaker who knows his work and his goals very well. In spite of its flaws, Black remains artistic and it is overall a moving movie experience. The words hope, love, dedication and success always come to the mind while watching it. It might not be original, it may be extremely manipulative at points, but the effort that was put into it by the entire cast and crew is evident and appreciable. Black is definitely better than most of the films made in the Hindi film industry. Though for me too it is a mixed bag, I admit that the first time I saw it, I kept thinking of it after the show had ended and for quite some time. This is an achievement few films can achieve (for me), and here's why my high rating.

Its a bit late for me to post this review. But memories were rekindled after the Saawariya fiasco of the apparently great Sanjay Leela Bansali. I was in India at that time, and many people talked about Black as if no one every made a movie like that ever. First of all its a remake, so attributing a "genius" tag to Bansali is uncalled for. I also did not appreciate the fact that he did not admit to the fact that it is a remake of The Miracle Worker. I mean, be a man. Tell the world you are making a remake. Secondly, in Bollywood, overacting means good acting seems to be the norm. Rani was as shrill as you can see. You can paint emotion but if the colors just bleed than it looses its grace. Bansali just went overboard. Some scenes make no sense. The empty rooms with slide images portrayed in the background. The needless filled sets. They distracted more. The film has its moments. Especially the one where Rani meets AB after a long time. I will not go into more details for the sake of those who haven't seen it (yet). In the same week, I had the good fortune of seeing Million Dollar Baby and.. boy.. what a difference. To see how emotions are handled subtly.. now THAT was a treat. Perhaps Bansali ought to learn from Eastwood.. if he gets down from cloud 9 that is...