The Blood of Hussain

1980

Action / Drama

1
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 80% · 100 ratings
IMDb Rating 6.8/10 10 188 188

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Plot summary

A dramatic depiction of the life of Hussain, with allegorical references to the history of the Prophet Muhammad and his descendants. It is prophesied that Young Hussain will one day lead the impoverished masses to a better life. It is his brother, Hasan, however who gains in prominence and when the government is overthrown in a military coup, he tries to adapt. Hussain in the meanwhile gets married and leads a small band of rebels in an attempt to fight the military dictatorship.

Director

Jamil Dehlavi Photo
Jamil Dehlavi

Top cast

Samina Peerzada Photo
Samina Peerzada as General's Daughter
Kika Markham Photo
Kika Markham as Katherine
Aliya Begam Photo
Aliya Begam as Mother
Abdul Karim Baloch Photo
Abdul Karim Baloch as Akbar
720p.BLU
973.06 MB
1280*778
English 2.0
AA
Subtitles us  
24 fps
1 hr 46 min
Seeds 2

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by R T 7 / 10

If allegory is a pretty hard thing to

If allegory is a pretty hard thing to do right, then doing religious allegory set in a real world political thriller might be damned near impossible. Director Jamil Dehlavi mostly pulls it off in this banned film that takes an Islamic religious text and places it in Pakistan in the late 70's. Of course, it functions reflexively as well with one of the first scenes being a gigantic parade of folks flagellating themselves in honor of the martyr whose refusal to subjugate himself to (what I understood as) an "usurper." Here, Dehlavi goes through the story in reference to forthcoming shifts in the Pakistani political field. I'm not quite clear on some of the parallels, but it seems to me that the film attempts to make a case for anti-fascist roots in Islamic culture as a whole. That's fair and fine, and I think the film supports that in a number of ways, but the pairing of Islamic history and contemporary thriller elements hiccups in just as many ways. The positing of Hussain as the "pure" Muslim man who keeps away from corrupting contemporary elements may retain some sense of allegorical authenticity but more often than not serves to reduce the characterization as a whole. Although there's nothing wrong with the performance, the character too quickly becomes one-dimensional and rather one note. That this man is so often compared to his "tainted" brother sometimes undercuts the more realistic elements. That's not to say that it's a total contradiction in terms. The Blood of Hussain also retains a sometimes surreal feel, most notably in a breathtaking shot of a horse emerging from the sand (not sure what the point of reference is here, but cinematically, it's quite astounding stuff) and the aforementioned parade. However, the mixture isn't always terribly fluid, which leaves the film feeling a bit uneven in tone. The most interesting thing in the whole film is the story of Hussain's brother who is actually given psychological roundness even if his wife's character is, like Hussain, a character who suffers from attempts to make her represent the other side of the contemporary scene, the Westerner who naturally doesn't wear a head scarf and ends up having an affair behind her husband's back. These kinds of political treatments seem a bit reactionary even as they emphasize the anti-fascist roots. However, even the most reductive elements become compelling at times. The climax with Hussain is shocking, uncompromising, and quite effective on a didactic level. The political thriller elements are done very well with tension and intrigue due to the fact that for most of the film, it's Hussain's brother who remains the focus. His character, torn between service of the newly-installed military leaders and his grassroots brother, turns into quite an interesting character after his wife's affair comes into the fray. There's a very nice juxtaposition of love scenes between the wife and her lover and the brother and a prostitute. As things get more and more drastic, Dehlavi's penchant for shockingly blunt scenes of violence sweeps in and carries the film to its climax. Despite the problems the film may have, the sometimes astounding visuals, the occasional exceptional scene, and the uncompromising tone the film takes to its subject matter push a recommendation over any subtextual concerns. *** and 1/2 * out've *****
Reviewed by ajji-2

a great achievement for Pakistani cinema!

The director is one of the very few Pakistani directors to attempt and achieve intelligent narrative in cinema. I have only seen a couple of other movies by Dehlavi, but i believe that this film is his masterpiece. Of course, it holds greater value for Muslims, or those who are familiar with Islamic history ( or at least the events surrounding the incident at Karbala, which is alluded to in the film as well as in its title ).The plot deals with a military takeover of Pakistan ( ironically, by the time the filming came to an end around 1977, the late General Zia had imposed Martial Law in Pakistan ) and two brothers who get caught up in the resulting turmoil. One is an aristocrat, married to a British lady ( Kika Markham ) who is having an illicit affair with an army officer. The other sibling is a man of the people, living a simple life among the peasants. He owns land, and is fond of horses. He opposes the military's attempts at taking over the land of his people, while his jet-set brother quietly goes to work for the leader of the regime.the conflict between the brothers is dealt without the crutches of histrionics, which are a mainstay of Pakistani cinema. other characters and relationships are also dealt with intelligently. symbolism abounds, and the film is deliberately paced. but if you stay with it, the rewards are rich. the film is lensed beautifully, with some unforgettable images throughout. credit also goes to the special effects and make-up departments ( see if you can guess who plays the two brothers, and check out the scene where a sickle slices through a wrist! ).The film is infamous for being banned in Pakistan by the late General Zia-ul-Haq ( for being anti-Martial Law in theme ), and sadly has remained so since then. Still, it is available on video at better video stores ( Dehlavi was lucky enough to escape to England with the prints, subsequently releasing the film in 1980, with the help of BBC ). If you think that all Pakistani films are full of vulgar dances, ham acting and lousy plotlines, then you have to see this. The only comparison that comes to mind while watching it, is '1984'Whatever your views about Jamil Dehlavi ( especially in the light of the 'Jinnah' controversy ), don't miss out on this film.Rating: 8/10
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