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Even though The White Tiger isnât exactly the first review I published in 2021, it was the first film I watched at the start of this new year. I really didnât know what to expect. Iâve never seen anything from any actor involved in the movie or from the writer-director, Ramin Bahrani. I still follow the âtrailer-freeâ philosophy that I established back in 2017, so my knowledge about the actual story was close to null. Nevertheless, all of these details left me quite excited, to be completely honest. Starting 2021 with a 100% blind watch (something I sincerely appreciate) is an excellent way of beginning a year that I hope will be better than the previous one (it shouldnât be that hard).
From the get-go, itâs clear that Bahrani will use his film in an enlightening, educational manner to teach its viewers about Indiaâs sociopolitical stratification (caste system) and its economic consequences. The viewer follows Adarsh Gouravâs character, Balram, whoâs trying to get away from the dated traditions and become a real entrepreneur. I rarely love straight-up political movies, even when these follow the satire route. On par with religion, these are two matters that Iâve been avoiding talking about my whole life. From corruption to wars, there are literally hundreds of reasons that justify my detachment from these topics.
With that said, The White Tiger holds several significant messages concerning poor families (low caste) who must work hard in unimaginable conditions just to survive, specifically in India. It also approaches ideas such as arranged marriage and the unbreakable master-servant bond. These cultural lessons on Indiaâs sociopolitical and socioeconomic structure are by far the most interesting aspect of the entire screenplay, and Bahrani does a fantastic job of conveying this awareness to the audience in a compelling manner. With the help of Paolo Carnera (DP), the story is filmed at ground-level, putting the viewers in the dirty, smelly, impoverished streets of different places across India, generating a realistic atmosphere. Chad Keithâs production design is also vital to create that immersive Indian environment.
Despite the wonderful technical aspects, Bahraniâs script is packed with an overwhelming succession of narrative events that fail to further develop the protagonist or impact the story, especially from the mid-point of the film onwards. Some sequences are similar to previous ones, ultimately making the movie feel repetitive while not moving the plot forward. Unfortunately, it really feels like the viewers could miss a couple of minutes here and there and not miss anything genuinely relevant. Therefore, Bahraniâs flick becomes overlong and slower than what it needs to be, consequently affecting the viewersâ attention, which might result in some of the critical messages getting lost in the transmission, mainly the economic one. Balramâs narration helps, but Bahrani could have found a better (and more logical) justification for this storytelling detail.
In addition to this, itâs a film that depends on the viewersâ knowledge about India and their interest in learning more about it. In my case, The White Tiger didnât surprise me with any information - which doesnât help the entertainment value - but its visuals helped me connect what I knew to something quite palpable. I do want to end on a positive note, though. The unknown cast is phenomenal, but the biggest praise must go to Adarsh Gouravâs first lead role. Balram is a well-written character who will definitely connect with many viewers all around the world. Gourav shows quite a good range, demonstrating his comedic timing and funny expressions, but also an emotional side that truly elevated some of the best scenes in the entire movie.
The White Tiger employs the English and Indian languages to educate viewers about Indiaâs sociopolitical and socioeconomic system by following Adarsh Gouravâs character, who narrates the largest email ever about his life. Despite the somewhat silly setup, Ramin Bahrani delivers an enlightening, interesting narrative with dozens of relevant messages regarding Indiaâs culture and the incredibly challenging way of living of most of its population. Gourav offers a brilliant performance (debut in a lead role), elevating a well-written, relatable character who goes through an unbelievable life story surrounded by an immersive production design and terrific camera work, creating a realistic environment. Unfortunately, this Netflixâs flick is overwhelmed by an absurd amount of gradually unimpactful narrative events, unnecessarily extending the runtime and hurting the overall pacing. By becoming repetitive, the viewersâ attention levels decrease, leading to a scenario where some of the essential lessons get lost in their delivery. Overall, I recommend it to viewers interested in learning more about India and people who actually lived or were born there, but if your knowledge about the country is good enough, it might not be as entertaining and informative as you would expect.
Rating: C+
