Mughal-e-Azam (EOTWS)

End Of The Week Shorts #39 extract: Mughal-e-Azam (1960)

Mughal-e-Azam is a masterpiece of tremendous magnitude. A poetic tragedy and the ultimate story about father-son conflicts, this is an allegory about the past and the future. Moreover, this is about a faith in what brings a nation to the present and a love that may take it elsewhere. With faith prevailing, we can see this to be a melancholic allegory about how change does not occur as quickly as we'd like. Mapping this onto the real world, there is clear evidence for this being a story about a reconciliation between Muslims and Hindus - and in possible reaction to the division of India and Pakistan in the late 40s. 

Capturing the poetry of movement, light, music and theme, Mughal-e-Azam is as formally stunning as it is narratively powerful. This deserves so many more words, but I'll end here with a strong recommendation. A must-see and an incredibly important piece of film history.