Inspired by a true story, Blinded by the Light is a coming-of-age story that is fueled by the music of Bruce Springsteen. Any fan of Springsteen’s will find so much to enjoy about this film. The director, Gurinder Chadha, known for Bend It Like Beckham, has created a cheerful, uplifting film experience. The movie is more than just a coming-of-age story; it dives into topics such as racism, sexism, class, and cultural divides. The film is set in the United Kingdom during the 1980s, a few years after Springsteen had received critical acclaim.
Viveik Kalra plays the main character, Javed. As a new actor, Kalra does a remarkable job in the film. He is able to genuinely show his emotions and his passion, making the audience share his character’s connection to the music.
Kalra plays a shy teen who has a passion for writing. His family is run by his domineering father, portrayed by Kulvinder Ghir. Javed’s father wants him to go to college for something practical like economics, but instead Javed secretly enrolls himself into English so he can continue to follow his love of writing.
At school he meets Roops, played by Aaron Phagura, who introduces Javed to Sprinsteen’s music. They instantly become friends over their shared passion of music. We get to see when Javed plays Springsteen’s music and is immediately connected to it. The lyrics are literally typed out and become part of the background, which allows the audience to see how the lyrics mean something to him in different scenes.
While popping a cassette into his portable player Javed says, “It’s like Bruce knows everything I’ve ever felt.”
Blinded by the Light is about that first time that you felt so deeply and utterly connected to something. Like that first time you relate to song’s lyrics and just play that song over and over again. Springsteen’s music helps Javed realize his potential, and it helps bridge a gap that was between Javed and his father. The music aids Javed in communicating how he really feels about his life. He doesn’t like that his father is making all his decisions for him; he doesn’t like where his life is headed. Once Javed is engulfed in the music it gives him the push that he needed to voice his feelings to his father.
The film has a couple moments where it almost turns into a full-on musical. Those moments are the only scenes that feel out of place, almost like Chadha is really trying to reach out to the Springsteen fans, which isn’t a bad thing; the scenes are just over-exaggerated and over-hyped. At times, the film feels slow. Blinded by the Light has a great message about the importance of one’s identity, but it takes a long time to get there.
Chadha does an incredible job of creating a joyful film that also encompasses realistic depictions of racism. There are several moments in which Javed’s family witnesses racism towards other Pakistani families in his neighbourhood. In one scene Javed watches in horror as local kids pee through the mail slot of another Pakistani family’s house. Even worse is when we see the depiction of Britian’s fascist National Front movement, marching through the town as an organized neo-Nazi group. The film is set in the late 1980s when Britain was suffering a recession. At the time Luton, which is the town the film takes place in, was under siege by the racist National Front party. Luton had a mostly Asian population and one of the highest number of Muslims in the country. Chadha is able to maintain the feel-good tone of the movie while acknowledging the terrible racial elements of the time.
Overall, Blinded by the Light is a cheerful ride that makes it hard to remember the flaws. The movie covers hard topics like racism and cultural divides, because those were important matters during the time in which the film took place and that still matter today. Mixing together the serious elements with Springsteen’s music, the film carries a meaningful message that will have you walking away from the theatre with a smile.
