The Wheel has the classical simplicity of a parable. The film is set in the needy countryside where people work hard for a pittance. A man with a ox-cart is more or less forced to carry a corpse to the next village. At first he refuses; he has accepted a load of rice, has been paid and wants to keep his promise to transport the rice. He accedes to threats and takes the corpse. When he reaches the village, no one wants to take responsibility for the corpse. That is thestart of an Odyssey for the man and his ‘companion’ with the macabre freight on the ox-cart.The men have to keep moving as the body starts to decompose. In the end they decide to bury the body, but the local villagers won’t allow them because they have their doubts about the man’s religion. And again the men are forced to continue their journey. They seek refuge in nature; in a desolate and barren part of a dried-up river bed, they bury the body. And while they have no ties whatsoever with the deceased, it is an emotional moment.The Wheel distinguishes itself with its majestic tempo and the film is also beautifully filmed; impressive use is made of its stunning locations.
