Comedy,Drama
Australia,United States of America
Holy Smoke is a 1999 psychological drama film directed by Jane Campion. The movie stars Kate Winslet as Ruth Barron and Harvey Keitel as PJ Waters. Ruth is a free-spirited girl seeking adventure and meaning in life. She travels to India and becomes entangled with a spiritual guru named Baba.
Her parents, worried about her sudden behavior change, hire PJ Waters, a renowned deprogrammer, to bring their daughter back home. PJ is an experienced and cynical expert in the deprogramming process. He expects Ruth to be brainwashed and in need of his help.
However, upon meeting Ruth, PJ quickly realizes that he has underestimated her intelligence, wit, and willpower. She is not a passive victim of the guru's influence but a person who has found something valuable in her life.
The movie takes place in a remote desert location, where PJ and Ruth engage in intense psychological battles. Ruth challenges PJ's authority and forces him to question his own beliefs and values. The deprogrammer becomes a captive of his own ego and fears, while Ruth emerges as a strong and confident woman.
Holy Smoke is a thought-provoking movie that explores themes of spirituality, power, and gender roles. The film's ambiguous ending leaves open the question of who has really won the battle between PJ and Ruth.
