Review of Jinnah

Jinnah (1998)
9/10
moving and informative
12 June 2002
While I can't comment on the absolute historical accuracy, this film certainly taught me a lot more about the founding of Pakistan and explained many things I had wondered about in the conflict. Christopher Lee's excellent performance goes a long way towards making Jinnah a sympathetic character despite the controversial decisions he takes; I would say that this is some of his finest acting and I found the final scenes very moving indeed.

The flashback technique works well most of the time, although it's not always clear where some scenes are set (England, India, Pakistan or the imagination). This device packs a lot more information into scenes between the characters than a more realistic timeline would and sets the questions of the founding of Pakistan in the context of ongoing conflicts rather than leaving it as historical curiosity. The cinematography is excellent and you wouldn't know this wasn't a Hollywood film except for the thought-provoking treatment and lack of easy answers. One to look out for.
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