A Passage to India

David Lean returned to filmmaking after a 14-year absence to direct this award-winning adaptation of E.M. Forster's novel. Adela Quested (Judy Davis), a young and spirited Englishwoman, travels to India alongside the somewhat older Mrs. Moore (Peggy Ashcroft). Mrs. Moore's hope is that her son, an administrator in the British Raj, and Adela will wed. Once in India, the two women pay scant heed to the customs followed by English society. They even agree to accompany a "native"--the charming and educated Dr. Aziz (Victor Banerjee)--on a tour of the mystical, ancient Marabar Caves. But their innocent outing turns ugly when Adela emerges from the cave's darkness accusing Aziz of rape. British authorities eagerly pursue--even pressure--Adela to go to court. The truth, however, is not as clear as the bigoted colonial government believes it is.