Movie: "Water"

According to Hindu scripture and widow must not remarry. So in the olden days of India (a practice which may continue to this day) widows were sent to live with other widows in an ashram. They cut their hair and wore only white, which might not be too bad if you were a woman sixty or older. But if a girl became a widow at say, age 7, because you were married off even before meeting your husband, she would spend her life without seeing her parents again or having any real companionship or opportunity in life.

They must support themselves in the ashram and do so by begging. One of the women in the group acts as a leader and sends some of the younger women out to prostitute for them. This woman actually reminded me of my friend's sister-in-law. It wasn't her, of course, but every scene she was in, I was thinking, "that's my friend's sister-in-law, no, no that's not her."

Oh, back to the film.

The movie "Water" takes place in India circa 1930's and shows this disturbing aspect of Indian culture. Much of the movie is seen through the eyes of a precocious seven year old girl who doesn't understand why she is there. She meets another young widow in her mid-twenties who takes the child under her wing. This young woman meets a man who has been educated in England and is a follower of the teachings of Gandhi. He has no use for the practice of ostracizing women simply because their husband has died.

As to be expected, the young woman and young man fall in love. He wants to marry her and she is ready to forsake her beliefs and be with him. Because of this trouble erupts, that and the fact the woman who looks like my friend's sister-in-law has been sending her out as a prostitute for her beau's father. What kind of coincidence is that?

Overall, this is a very good movie. For others who like it there is a lot to discuss. The cinematography is phenomenal and makes it worth seeing for that aspect alone.