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Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated) Binding: VHS Tape EAN: 9786304474877 Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC ISBN: 6304474873 Label: Nat'l Geographic Vid Manufacturer: Nat'l Geographic Vid Number Of Items: 1 Publisher: Nat'l Geographic Vid Release Date: January 01, 1998 Running Time: 111 minutes Sales Rank: 12245 Studio: Nat'l Geographic Vid Theatrical Release Date: 1995
Description: A puffing steam train climbs into the Himalaya, a rolling rumble echoes over the holy waters of the Ganges, an astonishing five million commuters rush daily through the Bombay Victoria Terminus - join National Geographic as we journey on one of the world's largest railways. Since 1853, India's railway has been a unifying force. Not only did it physically link distant regions, it also connected the myriad of castes, languages, and religions that comprise India. It's a rich history, riding the sumptuous Palace on Wheels through Rajasthan or the "toy train" to Darjiing, but sadly, the age of steam is dying. At the Black Beauty contest, the beloved steam engines are admired for the last time. From the driver in the steaming locomotive to the station master in the sleepy village, from the family traveling to a wedding to the commuters in the large cities, this great institution reflects the country itself. Many are the faces, and varied are the stories, on THE GREAT INDIAN RAILWAY.
Amazon.com: The British Empire's legacy to India is the subcontinent's railway system. The largest railway under single management in the world, it covers 40,000 miles and has 7,000 stations, with 11,000 trains running every day and 80 million people depending on the train for their livelihood. With a staff of 1.6 million, India's railway is also the largest employer in the world. Steam trains and other locomotives are nostalgic reminders of a time gone by. This video, released in 1995, is in widescreen format and has a feature-film feel to it, with re-created scenes in sepia contributing to its extremely atmospheric mood. Though not a profound presentation, the video is an introduction to a fascinating railway system in a complex country. --Cristina Del Sesto
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - NG at its best.
What a tragedy that this has been allowed to all but disappear! As of this date, Netflix doesn't have it, and (apparently) it has never been transferred to DVD. Far, far more than a story of the railway (fascinating in itself) this uses the railway as an organizing theme to talk about India. And the photography is just breathtaking as well. This is what the print National Geographic did for a generation prior to the video revolution: take us on an intelligent journey to a different world and present it sympathetically. And then, come back to the railway: they evoke the romance, the congestion, ... Read More
Rating: - Much More Than a Video About Steam Trains
This video is outstanding in all respects. The script, the naration, the videography, the music and the editing are all superb. One of the best National Geographic documentaries ever created. In just two hours such themes as the history of India, the politics of India, the religion of India, the geography of India, the passing of an era and growing older are skillfully and lyricly woven together with a story line that overtly explores the end of the steam era on the Indian rail system. This video be greatly enjoyed by a much broader audience than merely those steam train buffs among us.
Rating: - Two Thumbs (& a toe) Way Up!
One of my all-time favorite National Geographic videos. A journey on an Indian train is not unlike the journey of life itself - but one must be awake to the experience. If you haven't yet been experienced, you need to see this video.
Rating: - Better than the real thing?
Not only is this the best video travelogue I've ever seen, I suspect that it's one of the best National Geographic productions of any kind. The photography is absolutely breathtaking in its detail - just as good as the still images you'll find in the magazine. Linda Hunt's narration occasionally crosses the line into pomposity but is more often poetic and affecting. And the crew takes you places that only the most intrepid traveler would ever make it to on their own.
Rating: - A lovely walk through the world of Indian Railways
This is a really neat film for anyone interested in either India or trains (and if you're interested in both, you'll find this a treat). It is very well-made and as someone from India I felt that it tried to be honest and did relatively little sanitizing, which is what you have to usually do to portray the harsher realities of India. The film wanders through various parts of the country and manages to be comprehensive in its coverage without getting dull at all. Next time I go to India I must try the Palace on Wheels !
