Bandit Queen

REVIEW
This film adaptation of the harrowing yet ultimately triumphant life of Indian folkhero Phoolan Devi is a blistering attack on her culture's horrifying treatment of women and its crushing caste system. After being raped by her new husband, Phoolan escapes and returns to her home village only to be branded a whore and banished by the village elders. Kidnapped and brutally humiliated by a gang of bandits, she eventually rises within their ranks to become the leader of her own gang. Her bitter and ruthless quest for vengeance leads her to become regarded as a savior by throngs of lowborn Indians. With an unrelentingly hard-core depiction of Indian society, the film offers a fascinating peek into the intricate and complex social machinations of India's highly organized bandit armies. Well-paced and emotionally arousing as both action-adventure story and scathing social critique.