City of Joy
A disillusioned American surgeon finds renewed purpose while helping a resilient Calcutta community resist poverty, prejudice, and organized coercion.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- earnest
- compassionate
- harrowing
- social issue film night
- international cinema viewing
What critics said
Critics found substantial human interest and compelling material in the Calcutta setting, though the film's earnest social drama was often constrained by conventional Hollywood storytelling.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Max Lowe arrives after abandoning surgery but gradually serves patients at Joy Bethel's clinic in the City of Joy.
The film follows the Pal family, the clinic, rickshaw workers, and neighborhood power structures in a Calcutta slum.
The money lender dispossesses the Pals while the Ghatak family controls property, services, and protection payments.
American surgeon Max, Irish clinic founder Joy, and the Indian Pal family converge around medical and educational work.
Films like City of Joy, and why
The Killing Fields
socially conscious drama centered on outsiders confronting poverty and political violence in South Asia
Beyond Rangoon
humanistic cross-cultural drama about an idealistic outsider finding purpose amid severe social inequality
Gandhi
emotionally earnest ensemble drama portraying marginalized communities and moral responsibility
Movie Details
- Director
- Roland Joffé
- Release Date
- 1992-04-15
- Runtime
- 132 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (163)
Cast
- Patrick Swayze
- Om Puri
- Pauline Collins
- Shabana Azmi
- Ayesha Dharker
- Art Malik
- Nabil Shaban
- Suneeta Sengupta
- Shyamanand Jalan
- Rudraprasad Sengupta
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Howdy Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is City of Joy about?
- A disillusioned American surgeon finds renewed purpose while helping a resilient Calcutta community resist poverty, prejudice, and organized coercion.
- What is City of Joy like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of City of Joy as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is City of Joy violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in City of Joy as moderate.
- What did critics think of City of Joy?
- Critics found substantial human interest and compelling material in the Calcutta setting, though the film's earnest social drama was often constrained by conventional Hollywood storytelling.
- Which films are like City of Joy?
- Films with a similar feel include The Killing Fields, Beyond Rangoon, and Gandhi.
- How long is City of Joy?
- City of Joy runs 132 minutes.
- Where can I watch City of Joy?
- In United States, City of Joy streams on Howdy Amazon Channel.
