Jeevan Mrityu (1970) :
Brief Review -
Iconic French novel "The Count of Monte Cristo" with Indian touch minus tormenting metaphors. Many are aware of the original French novel by Alexandre Dumas, and I have seen the Hollywood adaptation of the same, starring Robert Donat. That Rowland Lee's directorial is called honest for sticking to the original source material, while Satyen Bose's Jeevan Mrityu has made a few changes according to Indian formations. In the Hollywood flick, the count has to spare the biggest enemy because he is married to his former lover, and that puts him in a difficult situation where he has to call himself guilty. His perfect plan is spoiled because of his former girlfriend, now his enemy's wife. In the Hindi remake, the hero is in delusion and somewhat rude, just to add that grey shade to the character. Dharmendra sees Rakhee and thinks that she might have betrayed him and then gets soft with her after learning the truth. The grandson of the man who helped him adds cliches to the story, and then you have fight scenes in the climax, and everything is made perfect for the happy ending. Ashok/Bikram doesn't go through those tormenting metaphors like Count of Monte Cristo. Bikram doesn't have to sacrifice his revenge at that time. Ashok is transformed into Bikram easily because we have a golden-hearted old man to provide him the power. In the original, the count had to find the treasure himself and struggle for it. Despite easily accessible and overdramatic elements, Jeevan Mrityu is a very good watch. "Jhilmil Sitaron Ka Aangan Hoga" song stands out in both versions. The predictability of the plot hurts, but not as much as the flawed last quarter. Dharmendra saves the film in parts. Bose misses many metaphors of life and painful gestures that could have boosted the emotional quotient of the film. Overall, good, not great.
RATING - 6.5/10*
By - #samthebestest.
