It is a city overflowing with people. It is a city of poverty. It is a city of cultural richness. It is the City of Joy. It is Calcutta. Director Rolanld Joffe captures the soul of the poor of Calcutta in a visually and photographically rich rendition of Dominique Lapierre's book, City of Joy. Although the focus of the movie is far too narrow, and the plot is sometimes too convoluted, the direction and cinematography are laudable. The actors shine, the music is enticing and the atmosphere is authentic.

The plot revolves around Dr. Max Lowe (Patrick Swayze), who goes to India in search of "enlightenment" at an Ashram near Calcutta. Frustrated by his career in America, he yearns to "find himself." Instead he finds himself stranded in Calcutta, robbed of his money and passport, where he accidentally encounters Hazari, a poor Indian farmer masterfully played by Om Puri. Hazari has a family--a wife, Kamla (Shabana Azmi), two sons and a daughter. Hazari pulls a rickshaw for a living, under the auspices of the Landlord--known as the Godfather to the tenants--and his merciless son, Ashok. The story unravels as Max begins to help out at a free clinic in the slum that Hazari lives in. He starts out saying, "I hate sick people," but ends up finding a part of himself in them. By the end of the movie, he says, "I have never felt more alive than this."

Max meets the Irish doctor, Joan (Pauline Collins), and he uses her as the supporting beam of his life in the village. Her selfless devotion to the cause of the diseased in the slum lures Max into the realm of the Calcuttan poor. He treats the lepers in the adjacent village, much to the horror of the paranoid denizens of his own village. The storyline takes twist after twist, placing a story within a story. The internal rivalry between the destitute lepers and the village of rickshaw-puller tenants is juxtaposed against the larger framework of animosity between the poor villagers and the landlord's draconian son, Ashok. He terrorizes the villagers, and wreaks havoc in their impoverished and already miserable lives.

The relationships between the characters burgeon, and despite the gravity of the subject matter, the movie takes a light twist every now and then, filling the beautifully cinetematographed scenes with a distinct sense of warmth. Azmi, as Hazari's wife and Max's clinical assistant, displays her prowess as a performer. She carries the role as the subservient wife and the sensual and strong woman with ease. Om Puri, as the frustrated Hazari, a man who is fighting for a living and defying the odds to collect a dowry for his daughter Amrita (Ayesha Dharker), is superb. He establishes his character with ease, and relates to Max with charisma and confidence. Swayze as the confused and agitated Max has proved himself as an actor. He is cocky, nurturing, volatile, impulsive, and sensitive in an impressive blend of traits.

Ennio Morricon's score is exotic, penetrating and mellifluous, blending the percussive sounds of the Indian drums with the classical strands of the violin and orchestra to enhance the sensuality that this movie conveys.

The visual and sensual aspects of the movie are counteracted by the content of the movie. The movie is a rich and accurate depiction of the City of Joy's poor half. However, the urbanized and richer aspects of the city, slip into oblivion. The impression one gets from the movie is that the City of Joy is not only entirely impoverished and disease-ridden, but a City of Contention. For someone who has never seen a movie about India before, this could confirm all the negative stereotypes that people foster. However, this problem reflects the content, not the execution of the movie. City of Joy does successfully manage to defy the stereotype of India as the mysterious and impregnable country. It presents the poor in India in an authentic perspective.

From the director of The Killing Fields, this film has some superb photography, visual effects, direction and acting. For Swayze, it's coming-of-age him. The Indian actors, Puri and Azmi, along with a highly energized cast, are ideal in their roles, and present a movie that despite its textual flaws is beautiful to watch.