The Home and the World

"I am willing," he said, "to serve my country; but my worship I reserve for Right which is far greater than my country. To worship my country as a god is to bring a curse upon it." - Nikhil

"And so I will bear what you people are pleased to call false witness, as they have done who have created empires, built up social systems, founded religious organizations. Those who would rule do not dread untruths; the shackles of truth are reserved for those who will fall under their sway. Have you not read history? Do you not know that in the immense cauldrons, where vast political developments are simmering, untruths are the main ingredients?" - Sandip

"My country does not become mine simply because it is the country of my birth. It becomes mine on the day when I am able to win it by force" - Sandip

Truth v/s the Reality, Heart v/s the Head, Intuition v/s insight, Home v/s the World - so many duels

The novel and movie is so relevant in these times (first published in 1915).

Satyajit Ray takes the novel to another level, another must watch (and not just watch, but the deep thought afterwards).

Movie link: 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087328

Book is available on Gutenberg/Amazon (free): http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/7166

Paths of Glory

Watched "Paths of Glory" a couple of weeks back. Once you have watched it, it's not easy to forget it. Although the background is that of war, one may find many parallels and situations to relate it to.

I read somewhere that there was a serious discussion to convert the film's end into a happy one. However, it was not done that way, and I think that's the high point of the film.

Don't miss it - if you can't find it, borrow from me :)

Movie-spree

There has been much movie watching of late. Found most of the films good: Drive, Another Earth. One of them was as bad as ever: Don-2!

Now looking forward to: The Last Station and latest movie version of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

Let's see!

Hatari!

Are we talking about the same animal, Mbwana?

It's sad they don't make such wonderful movies like Hatari! any more. They couldn't have picked better actor than John Wayne (himself) for the lead role. Go for a ride --It'll turn out to be a memorable journey!

The Seventh Seal

Not so long ago did I write a post about Prof Isak's First Dream from Wild Straberries. Today, I got my hands on his another chapter on film making. The film's named, The Seventh Seal (1958). As most of his films, I needed a book-reading exercise after watching the movie. Here is an excerpt from that chapter,

Outside a church, Tyan, a girl accused of casuing the plague by having had relations with the Devil, hangs limply from the stocks. Although she has been tortured nearly to the point of death, the terror-stricken inhabitants of the parish are not yet satisfied: to demonstrate their faith in God, they have decided to burn her at the stake. In her own terror she has conceived faith as resolute as theirs --- not in God but in the Devil, who, she is convinced, will save her from the flames. Her professed intimacy with the Devil prompts the knight to ask for an introduction: "I want to question him about God. He, if anyone, must know." When the "witch" tells him he will find the Devil by looking in her eyes, Block, seeing only fear, is disappointed. And yet, in a sense, his question has found its answer. Fear generates not only Tyan's Devil but also the God of those who persecute her --- and the greatest fear is that, beyond life, there is only void.

This scene, definitely reminds me of Wild Strawberries.

Few directors can leave one so much disturbed, and in so many different ways. And I guess, that's the victory for the artist!

Wild Wild West

"You don't hear the gunshot that kills you" -- The Indian in "The Bravados"

It's dialogues such as above that make Western Movies so interesting as they are.

If a study is made into the themes and catchy phrases (which already exists somewhere, I am sure), I guess we will find extra-ordinary similarity in the former and extra-ordinary diversity in the latter. Most typically, it's a gang of bandits or bank robbers who are the heroes (or villains too!) casted. Rarely (as in case of The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence) one would find 'leagal' ways being contemplated to tackle the law of the bullet. And even in that rare exception, the protagonist has to get a pistol-belt for his sake. On a vast barren land, riding beautiful horses, these are the men who teach each other from chapters after chapters of this simple law: you miss, I hit.

The men are as rugged as is the terrain. They hardly look tired albeit always bearded and sun-tanned. I guess only living thing that's more alert than a well-groomed cowboy can be his horse! These tireless animals chase for their masters, ride for their pride and of course, sleep standing. You start hating the cruel way of settling the scores one-on-one. The result can be only one, as always, yet every gun-fight is different. Every setting differently interesting than the other, and every bullet, well, unique.

For years, cowboys like John Wayne, James Stewart, Gregory Peck, Steve McQueen, Clint Eastwood (and countless other amigos) have treaded the dusty roads of the West. Directors such as Sergio Leone, John Ford, Eastwood and others have literally ruled the West. And of course, for centuries, the tremendous desert and mountains have witnessed drams unfolding under their noses.

These movies and the heros make inspire me to ride a horse, wear a hat and walk into a restaurant, barking: burn me a steak, will ya?

I guess that's good enough testimonial of how I have taken to liking the Westerns!

Wild Strawberries

The dream scene from Wild Straberries, a masterpiece from Ingmar Bergman can be rated among the best sequences ever realized on the celluloid medium.



The scene is intriguing. Dr Isak's first dream, to me, signified his loneliness, and fear thereof. The hand-less wall clock haunted me forever, and yes, the empty roads where he lost his way! The brilliance of Bergman can be seen in the horse-cart sequence. Lonesome Isak, dead in his coffin, extends his hand out, to express something to someone.. and all he can find is himself!

Now that's some loneliness, isn't it?

Any more explanations, thoughts on this scene?

Rosemary's Baby

So, how do you make a horror film? Spill some blood, grow a few horrible creatures, throw in some daemons? Or include terrorizing door-bell shots, or add a couple more sequels just for after-taste? No, mister! Take Rosemary's Baby, a 1968 classic for instance.

Mr Roman Polanski (take a bow, sir) can give you a standing lesson in horror film-making. Without a drop of blood on screen, he can create a bloody terrifying film. For one, this horror movie sure keeps your mind occupied, makes you correlate the events the whole of next day. And of course, it can be called an achievement in film making.

Most of the modern horror movies make you either (1) laugh or (2) leave the theater (not out of fear but disgust). This one doesn't let you go; and even when experienced on a small, 29" TV, it gets the blood pumping, and mind racing with anxiety.



Watch the movie, and maybe after that we can have a discussion on the back-links in the movie!

A long movie-ing list

Ever since I have come to the US, I have indulged in much movie watching. The rate may have averaged around a movie per three days, I get the feeling that much remains to be seen.

While I am on the topic of movies, let me take some effort to drop at least a line per movie:

The Marx Brothers movies:

• A day at the races
  Groucho (a vet) fakes as a doctor and takes charge of a hospital. My favorite scene includes Harpo taken to this doctor, and the doctor takes his temperature by putting a thermometer in his mouth. Harpo muches into the mercury scale, and swallows it. Groucho has, "Oh I can see the temperature going down there" comment to offer. Harpo is wonderful as a jockey. Great fun, as is any other Marx brothers movie.
  
• Go West:The brothers try to find a hidden treasure in the dessert, getting involved in Cowboy fight on the way. Hilarious, yet a bit lower on my personal ratings for the Marx Brothers.
  
• A Night in Casablanca: Yes, it's the same movie that made Groucho reply to Warner Brothers, justifying that he saw no similarity between this night in Casablanca with another great film starring Bogart and Bergman. The scene in which Groucho, the hotel manager insults the head of local laundry association is one of my favorites!
  
• A Night at the Opera: In this one, Groucho is an assistant to a millionaire lady ready to spend her money lavishly on Opera. The crowded scene on the boat is out of this world, and so is the scene where Chico and Groucho cut corners on an agreement. I simply loved the opera!
  
• Room Service: Loosely resembles with 'jaane bhi do yaaron' in which a dead body is involved in on-stage drama. In this drama-tic comdey, Groucho plays director-dum-producer of a drama, living in a hotel without paying the room rent for ages, having the whole crew rehearse in the ball-room of the hotel.
  
• At the Circus
  : If I were to recommend one movie to someone new to the Marx-ist cult, I'd strongly recommend At the Circus, which by co-incidence was the first Marx movie I watched. Have you heard of Lydia, the tattooed lady? No? The you must watch this! There is this scene in which Groucho is trying out walking on the ceiling with his girl. "I didn't think we'd be hanging around with each other so soon," and "I guess I am head over heels in love with you" are only a few examples of the unimaginable quality of Marx humor!
  

Other, Non Marx movies:

• To Kill a Mockingbird (Based on Harper Lee's memorable novel. A towering performance by Gregoty Peck)

• The Letter (Betty Davies - Based on Somerset Maugham's short story)

• Fargo: Based on a true crime story. Notorious for 'oh yeah?' Minnesota expression!

• One Flew over the Cuckoo's nest: Jack Nicholson at his best, yet a very depressing movie. Not recommended for a spring day!

• Mrs Miniver: A fantastic old movie (winner of 1942 Academy Award for Best Film)

• The Pursuit of Happyness: Will Smith plays a man against all possible odds, who's in pursuit of happiness. His Son is another great actor in making.
  

• All the President's Men: Based on the true story of Watergate scandal, Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman play the two Washington Post reporters that burst the scandal.

• The Shop Around the Corner: The original version of "You've Got Mail". Based in Budapest, the original is so much better!

• Tootsie: Dustin Hoffman is all over in this movie! He makes fool of the audiences when he fakes himself as the character actress on a famous TV show! A Sydney Pollack film. I guess he could have easily won the best actress award that year!
  

• I Am Legend: Another version of Night of the Living Dead. Remembered only for the Legendary actor that Will Smith is!

• Autumn sonata: Two Great Bergmans together for the only time. Ingmar Bergman directs Ingrid Bergman, who won her Best Actress Academy award for this one. An intensely emotional drama, that raises so many questions yet no answers!

• The Inn of the Sixth Happiness: Another Ingrid Bergman film, based on a true story of an English woman who went to China and helped hundreds of orphans to safety when the Japanese attacked the northern china. Bergman's charm is all over the film here!

Descriptions Coming up (soon):

• Mutiny on the Bounty (Marlon Brando)
  

• The Conversation (Francis Ford Coppola)
  

• Goodfellas (Martin Scorcesse)
  

• Blood Diamond

• The Grapes of Wrath

• Forbidden games (french)

• The human beast (Renoir, french)

• The Apartment (Jack Lemmon)

• An Ugly American (Marlon Brando)

• The Untouchables (Rober de Niro)

• Raging Bull (Robert Di Niro)

• The Virgin Spring (Ingmar Bergman)

• A Streetcar named desire (Tennessee Williams play, Marlon Brando+Vivien Leigh)

• The Departed (Martin Scorcesse: Leonardo Di Caprio)

• The Importance of Being Earnest (Based on Oscar Wilde's wonderful play)

• The Insider (Al Pacino + Russel Crowe)

Duel by Steven Spielberg

Last night, I watched War of the Worlds, again, this time, in parts.

And then today, I started searching for Spielberg classics. I came across this gem, called Duel (1971). It's a fantastic film, and more so, if you like Hitchcock-style mystery. Let me not be a spoilsport here, but I'll just mention that, this film is different from Hitchcock-style mysteries. Watch, as and when you have bandwidth!

Check it! India

After a long time I watched a hindi movie on big screen. It turned out to be quite good actually (let me not comment on the "expectations from an Aditya Chopra movie" though).

Bollywood is a barren land as far as sports related movies are concerned. Excepting the hit Lagaan based on the most popular game of Cricket, I don't recall any other sport themed movie (they say, "love is a game, played by many" etc. but that's not quite sport in most of the movies)

The movie is well designed, to fit in a little over than two and half hours, occasional songs are well placed, dialogs crisp and well written and unnecessary, over-amplified patriotism is avoided. If it was too much to expect some coaching drills and game-plans to be explained on screen, this expectation was not entirely ignored. The hockey team was kept away from the unreaistic ideal-ness and divinity as one would expect in a typical hindi movie (not mythological movies). The coach really sounded intelligent most of the time, and a real inspirational figure. He did well in getting the diverse, ever conflicting team of young and hot headed girls and 'managed' to get a real result, nothing short of a world cup.

My opinion about Shahrukh's performance in this movie may be contested by many real critics, but in my opinion he is very good in the role of coach. He has the intelligence, confidence and arrogance of a national team's manager and coach. And thanks to the script writer, he is kept away from unnecessary personal ambitions and affairs, making his story more real and believable. Vindication is surely one of the coach's goals, but it is only secondary. As he preached all through, he worked for the team and the game. I think he is on track to become Richard Gere of Indian popular cinema (if I am allowed to attempt an analogy).

With only Shahrukh as the well-known actor, the whole team as a whole performs well, and most importantly, they do look hockey players. I wonder they were allowed to have a ball on the real hockey field.

Sports movies have one common shortcoming though and towards that, this movie is no exception. The live-match shots are all taken very up close. That breaks the continuity of the match. It is worse than watching highlights of the game. As the shooting has to be done in patches, I guess the director cannot help it.

Overall, a very good movie. If you are sports fan, and/or have played any sport at competitive levels, you should enjoy it. Check it India!

Sugata Sanshiro and Rashomon

Akira Kurosawa's films have always amused me beyond compare. My experience has been that I am amused more after the film is over rather than when I am actually watching it.

The same happened yesterday: after reading Kurosawa's autobiography, for long I was searching for two films: Sugata Sanshiro and Rashomon. I tried multiple music/video stores in multiple cities, but to no avail. And on a fine day that marked completion of my 5 years stay in Bangalore, I stumbled upon these two films, a place which I had never dreamt of finding those at.

The Internet itself! Apparently, the Japanese government has ordered to open up the collection of movies prior to 1950s as public domain property. Google video has many versions of this film (with and without subtitles etc.). I wasted no afternoon time in watching the former and no late-evening time in watching the latter.

You can find those two films here and here. Adding the two, it's around three hours of excellence, packed in about 2GB of bandwidth. So, if you're planning to make use of your broadband bandwidth that'll lapse on the month-end, nothing can be a better choice than watching these two films.

The two films deserve separate post-review, which I'll try to do over the next few days (if it does not happen over the next few days, I doubt if it'll ever happen).

Appreciating movies

Not so long ago, I watched an interesting program on one of these movie channels: The Making of Cars. Cars, for the uninitiated, is an animation movie by the best animation company in the world: Pixar Animation Studio. The short feature touched upon many aspects of movie making. The most interesting part I thought was the "script writing and screenplay." Based on the overall story line, how does one come up with the exact sequence of actions and then of course, dialogs? What's the role of a director here in the animation movie?

"We went through a lot of brain storming," the screenplay writer was telling the interviewer. "We took out one of the scenes out of the script, went on gathering as many ideas as possible. It was very interesting to travel to the imaginary world and ask ourselves, 'what would I say if I were so-and-so.' How can we add that simple humour? and so on..."

He explained this with examples too. (he took the example of the scene in which Lightning McQueen goes for a long ride in the countryside with Sally. Lightning McQueen has never ridden for pleasure of riding. He has been always so much concerned with racing and racing alone. This entire scene is important as it changes his attitude towards life. The scene where he comes to the enchanting waterfall is my favourite. So, back to the topic, the design of screenplay involved coming up with the sequence: how these two cars will drive? McQueen first takes lead but soon he finds himself overwhelmed with the sheer beauty of the countryside and lets Sally take the lead. She drives fast, and vrrooom, mud is all over McQueen's face. The leaves are falling and all this creates a wonderful setting. On the bridge over the waterfall, Sally gives McQueen her charming smile. McQueen returns, and there - you see his teeth dirty with the mud... It is such a nice sequence.

Watching such programs teaches how to 'watch' movies (and not only 'see' movies). I watched "Dead Poets Society" the other day, and I could make use of this new outlook immediately! Peter Weir, the Aussie, (director of Gallipoli, The Truman Show, and, Master and Commander) is such a brilliant director! From the camera angles to music, from emotional scenes to a simple scene in which students are sneaking out of their hostel in the night, you could appreciate his technique and brilliance. Unfortunately, in this case only words cannot be sufficient to explain such excellence (probably a video feature could do, but I do not have the means!)...

So, for the time being, the best I can do is watch and appreciate :-)

---
By the way, there are certain workshops held on the topic of "Film Appreciation." I am looking forward to a session that I can attend. Let's see!

The Usual Suspects

There are certain movies which one has always wanted to watch, but for one reason or the other one has not got any chance to watch them.

The Usual Suspects ranked very high in my personal list of such movies. So, after ~12 years it was made, today I got the chance to watch it on Sony Pix. Since the last couple of weeks my cable operator has started showing Sony Pix, which is quite a remarkable movie channel. The channel is quite remarkable for it hardly does any third party product promotions called advertisements and sticks to showing upcoming movie trailers during the breaks. So, far I have quite enjoyed watching a couple of Sidney Poitier movies and another classic called "Eye of the Needle."

Anyway, the movie channel is hardly the topic for this post.

I do not want to play spoilsport and reveal the mystery behind the villainous legend of Keyser Soze, but still would like to emphasize how engrossing the whole movie was. Although only within last few metres of the movie reel the genius of the director is revealed, almost the entire movie before that scene builds a stage for the final class act. The story is told in flash-back by Kevin Spacey, who plays 'verbal' Kint. He does wonders irritating the interrogating detective and slowly takes control of the viewer's mind.

I could describe the movie as a Action/Crime/Thriller movie and be done with it - and that would not only be injustice to the quality but rather an insult. Yet, for the time being, I am left short of words and am looking through the schedules for a re-run to watch.

This flick sure does deserve a re-watch. If you happen to have time when it's being aired again, DON'T MISS IT!

Back to the future!

On the eve of new year's day, Star Movies is airing one of the best trilogies ever made: Back to the Future (I, II and III), made by one of the greatest directors in the business: Robert Zemeckis (who also gave us Who Framed Rodger Rabit, Forrest Gump, Contact, Cast Away, What Lies Beneath and The Polar Express).

I have seen this series at least three times and am sure can watch it as many times as they can air it again. It has everything that's needed to make a winner: fantasy, science, humour, drama and subtle wit.

Well, with those many words, I'll be back in the future. And that should be the year 2007. Although I *hate* astrology, I can not help but reveal an interesting fact: year 2007 is that of pisces (or the fish).

Hmm. That'll be mine, please :-)

Wish one and all a very happy new year. May your year be free from nuisances of (breaking) news channels and may there be peace!

Munich

"There is nothing poetic about dying,"

We heard Eric Bana's Hector telling this to his younger brother Paris in Troy.

When one watches Eric Bana as Avner in Munich, one can't help but compare him to Hector from Troy. I'd say both these performances have been wonderful, although I liked Hector much better than Avner.

The whole story of Troy is tragic, and so is of Munich. It starts with the massacre of 11 Israeli athletes, and what follows after that is one tragic tale of revenge. Based on [some] true incidents that took place, this film surely takes us to a different world. Terrorism is planned, and so is anti-terrorism. People involved are marked and eliminated, and then their successors assume the role of the deceased.

"We cut nails - but they grow back, don't they?" is the reply to Avner, after he has accomplished his mission to assassinate the brains behind the massacre; but truly, nothing has changed.

Spielberg has got his target- the viewer has understood the horrors of terrorism, and sadly, also the fate of the battle against it. Or at least that's the way I saw it in this film.

"Where is the captain?"

"He is dead, Sir"

"I didn't ask you how he was."

From A Bridge Too Far (1977)

Impossible

I decided not to watch The Superman Returns because I thought the adventure extraordinaire will take a toll on my logical thinking powers. Or rather, I decided to watch MI:3 because I thought it might turn out to be a better logical reasoning exercise than the former.

My logical reasoning towards the choice of the movie was alright, as it turned out to be.

The Impossible Mission Force, or IMF is an impossible organisation. If I decide to believe whatever happens in the movie, I will end up in believing in the following:

1. Jet-lag is a myth. One can easily fly to Shanghai from the US and get on to (impossible) job in no time.

2. Money is never a problem for IMF. Neither is technology. Neither is computer-skills. One man can control ten robotic-guns and bring down n number of targets in ~30 seconds.

3. Explosives can be carried in your pocket as chewing gum and can be stuck to a wall like a chewing gum. The chewing gum even explodes.

4. All the IMF characters on screen need not eat or sleep for days together. I wonder whether they do visits to the loo. Or maybe, it's something unscreenable.

5. One can jump from hundreds of feet above the ground, bang against glass-roof and/or other metallic objects with a thunderous sound without breaking even a single bone. Upon getting up, he smiles at us - a cunning smile. As if saying, hahaha- you thought it was all real, right?

6. The biological weapons are out of this world. They can fire an explosive devise into your brain via your nose. And it has got a timer in it! If the viewer starts getting acute headache, he can assume that he has had it!

7. The best scene, however is the following: The Hero is suffering from acute headache because of the shot-in-the-head. The only way to get rid of it (apparently) is to get electric shock. He asks his wife to give him shock of his life. He almost dead of the electric shock, before his wife who's a doctor does well to bring him back. And all this is happening amidst gun-fire. His wife learns to shoot in no time and kills a couple of bad boys effortlessly. When our Hero gains his consciousness, the first thing he does is: he grabs the revolver lying beside and points it to the door.

And thankfully, that's the end of the movie....

National Treasure

I at times want pure entertainment. By pure I mean, without slightest dose of preaching. And that's what I got after watching this film : National Treasure.

The film had all the entertaining values : nice, catchy storyline, very simple cast, not-so-dumb villain, fast pace of the script, and of course, a real treasure at the end [unlike Mackenna's Gold, where all that the hero gets at the end is one bag full of gold and the heroine]. Although there is a far-fetched theory of having a clue to the treasure written in invisible ink on the back of the original copy of Declaration Of Independence, it adds to the excitement.

Maybe you should go watch the film, and maybe I should not preach too much about the entertainment value of it. Do watch when you are bored of philosophical or high-tension drama films.

Or even otherwise also!

Being Cyrus

Bottomline (even though it is at the top) : Worth the two odd hours of free time.

It was after a long long time that I went out to see a movie in a cinema hall. It marked my second movie watching experience at a multiplex.

Knowing nothing about the story or having no expectations when you go for a movie generally helps and it specifically helped on this occasion. Apart from knowing that this movie was an English movie made in bollywood, I had no information about it. On the way to the hall, my friend just passed a hint that it was, after all, a thriller movie.

A thriller, made in Bollywood, and that too, in English. Kind of sounded different, but then, kind of OK.

The movie starts on a shaky note - the titles appear on the screen with a shaking composition. Perhaps setting the tone right up front, that it's going to be a shaky start, so : beware!

In a nutshell,
- It is nice to hear Saif Ali Khan speaking English.
- Dimple Kapadia has perfectly over-acted, as demanded by the character.
- Naseeruddin Shah is as comfortable as ever.
- The story drags at times. By intermission, nothing much has happened, and if you are in a rush, you might as well skip the first half.
- The story ends abruptly, as is expected of a thriller.
- There are no songs in the movie, a positive point.
- There are some strange sequences, as if dreams are shown live, but the interpretation is beyond my capacity. So, leave that part.
- The debut performance by Homi Adajania certainly has increased expectations. But, as is the case with a second day of test match, it is not easy!
- Simone Singh is pretty. I still remember her from "Swaabhimaan"

All in all, even though I won't rate this movie by giving any stars or points, it's worth a watch. And yes, worth a blog post, at least.