The Deceivers

Our English word 'thug' comes from a Hindi word, 'thag,' as we often see it transliterated as 'thuggee.' The thuggees were a secret cult of assassins/robbers who preyed on wealthy travelers, usually in the months of October. It was (or still is, as some claim) an ancient order which preceded the Islamic invasion of India and which also included Muslims in its ranks. The thuggees worshiped Kali, the consort of Shiva, (or Siva) the destroyer, one of the three gods in the Hindu Trimurti or trinity (the other two being Brahmin and Vishnu). This film which is based on a fictional account of a British officer who inflitrates the cult by disguising himself as a thuggee and eventually comes to be the one who destroy it. The allusion to being based on real life events, of course, adds to the mystery and allure of this film's exotic setting. A young pre-James Bond Pierce Brosnan is the central character and is aided by the Indian veteran character actor, Saeed Jaffery. Add to that, the presence of Australian actor, Keith Michell, his attractive daughter, Helena, a face frequently seen as a supporting actor, David Robb, as the Gentleman cad, and a large cast of Indian actors that are seen in Indian films, and you have the cast. The scenery is most interesting as it was shot on location in India and shows the countryside not as a jungle, as many think of India. Historically, the East India Company which was exploiting the natural resources of India for their own colonial interests, was underwritten by the English government and the British Army was providing the administrative services. The story of this film, based on the investigations of the colonial administrator, Sir. W.H. Sleeman who eventually uprooted the Thuggee cult, took place before the Sepoy uprising in the 1840's.

This is not a bad film and maintains high level of tension. I found it entertaining and interesting and recommend it.

Pierce Brosnan looks a bit too European (and hairy-chested) to be completely convincing as a Kali-worshipper, but he gives an intrepid performance as an Englishman undercover with the Thugees, a sort of Donnie Brasco of the 1800s. The movie itself has some harrowing moments as we watch the thugs ply their killing trade, and the inevitable one-against- many showdown, coming when Pierce's ruse is revealed, is suitably tense. A lot of the drama, however is rather flat and unmemorable and the movie lags in the middle.

There is a nice period look here, though, similar to that of the Sharpe TV series, and fans of that one might find this an interesting diversion.

I'm sure every schoolboy knows where the word " Thug " originates from . If not I'll reeducate you by saying the word is derived from the word " thugee " which apart from being the Hindi word for " thief " is also the name of a notorious cult from India where a group of men would befriend travelers along the Indian sub-continent and then strangle them . THE DECIEVERS based upon the John Masters book tells of the story of a British army officer who infiltrated the group

It doesn't seem to be able to tell the story well and one can't help thinking that being a Merchant Ivory production this might be to blame . It's rather stodgy and director Nicholas Meyer seems to be more interested in exotic beauty and cultural diversity of 1820s India than he is in telling a tension filled cinematic thriller . Ironically enough when it does try to mirror the classic era of Hollywood in the 1930s and 40s it comes across as being clichéd

A great pity because there's so much potential here that the production gets right such as pointing out that in the 1820s it was the British East India company and not the British monarch or the British government who ruled India . If you're worried about corporate capitalism in the 21st Century I can guarantee you it was much worse two hundred years ago . As you'd expect with this production company the costume design is exemplary . It's also a film that makes good use of sound editing where when the Thugees commit their murders a spine chilling " SWISH " type sound blasts out from the screen and is so effective it left me truly puzzled why Meyer didn't more to make THE DECEIVERS a more enthralling film

Most historians doubt the Thuggee or any kind of cult like it existed at all. For one thing, most of the criminals executed as Thuggee were Muslim, not Hindu, and would not have worshipped a Hindu goddess, Kali.

Most of the claims came from criminals turning on each other. British paranoia and fear of cultures they didn't understand likely invented the whole idea of a cult of murderers and robbers.

So the whole story is based on white Europeans letting their fear of brown people go crazy. But is it a good film?

In parts. If you just want a film that's part crime story and part horror, the murder and robbery scenes do that kind of well.

But in between the film rambles on and on. Brosnan is overwrought all the time, even when not needed. He's become a much better actor since then, but back then was amateurish.

And who thought it was at all believable he could smear on mud and pass for Indian? Add to that giving him a fake fuzzy beard instead of just letting his actual beard grow. He looks like what he is, white European guy in a turban.

Points only for correct period costumes.

When a British officer gets wind of a gang of murderous highwaymen he joins their ranks with the intention of shutting down the organization. Spys and counterspys in both camps offset each other until a final battle settles who will remain in charge. Hard to believe that during all the time the officer was with the thugs they never noticed how foreign he appeared or that the stain he used never washed off. Entertaining with plenty of action and great scenery.