Lagaan

In a remarkable story about the triumph of the ordinary, set in 1890s India, the ruling British have imposed a harsh tax (lagaan) on the farmers, prompting the villagers of Champaner to plead for a waiver. In response, an arrogant and capricious British commander challenges the villagers to a cricket match: If the villagers win, they'll avoid taxation for three years; if they lose, they'll pay the tax thrice over.