Jane Campion's newest movie, Holy Smoke, is seductive to look at and fascinating to experience, though we'd be lying if we said we entirely understood the project.

 Kate Winslet stars here as Ruth, a young Australian woman who travels to India and becomes a devotee of a charismatic guru.

 Panicked by this turn of events, Ruth's mother (Julie Hamilton) travels to India to bring her daughter home. The family hires an American deprogrammer to try to win their daughter back from the influence of the guru. This expert in such spiritual matters is played by Harvey Keitel.

 Ruth's family is essentially hopeless in the midst of this crisis, so Keitel takes Ruth away to an isolated spot to begin his three-step deprogramming.

 Things go according to plan. No matter what Ruth claims with regard to her new-found religion, Keitel's character knows more. It's his intellect versus her emotion.

 It's also his male superiority and his place in the power seat versus her youth and beauty and vulnerability; you can be sure the power positions are going to be reversed.

 At the turning point of Ruth's recovery, the unthinkable happens. She and Keitel become sexually involved, a situation that upends their relationship. Now, Ruth is in control.

 Keitel's character embarks on an obsessive quest to make Ruth his wife. He begins to hallucinate in the Australian desert. Things get grim and bizarre.

 Strangely, Holy Smoke still manages to find its way to an ending that is all about redemption.

 The screenplay for Holy Smoke was co-written by Jane Campion and her sister Anna, and covers some of the themes that appear in such other Jane Campion films as The Piano or A Portrait Of A Lady -- forbidden passion, the war between men and women, the sex and spirituality combo.

 The film is very funny, almost slapstick, at times, and at others quite harrowing in its depiction of cruelty, weakness and betrayal. One can see that the balance is essential, but the nature of the material leaves such actors as Sophie Lee, as the tarty sister-in-law, looking ridiculous.

 Although Holy Smoke -- terrible title, no? -- eventually becomes squirmingly intense, the film is so visually arresting as to be spellbinding.

 As for performances, Winslet is superb and Keitel does that simultaneously repellent and attractive thing he does so well. Holy Smoke is unusual and it's smart. Well, insofar as we can figure out.

(This film is rated R)

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