குறிப்பிடத்தகுந்தஇரானியஇயக்குனர்களுள்ஒருவர்மோஹ்சின்மக்மல்பஃப். விருதுகள்பலவென்றஅவரதுபடங்களுக்குபலவிமர்சனங்களும்குறிப்புகளும்கிடைக்கின்றனஎனினும்முதல்முறைஇந்ததிகைக்கவைக்கும்படிஎளிமையானஆனால்குறியீடுகள்நிறைந்த The Silence என்றபடத்தைபார்த்தபோதுஎன்னளவில்ஒருசிறுபதிவைஎழுதும்உந்துதல்.
இசைக்கூடமுதலாளிபலமுறைகடிந்தும்வேலையைவிட்டுநிறுத்திவிடுவதாகமிரட்டியும்கூட, அவனால்அவனறியாமல்செய்வதைமாற்றிக்கொள்ளமுடிவதில்லை. மாறாக, சுதியும்லயமும்கூடியஎதுவும்அவனைஈர்ப்பதைஅவன்இயற்கையாகவும்இன்பமாகவும்கருதுகிறான்.
பெரும்வாழ்க்கைப்போராட்டங்களைசித்தரிப்பதானஎந்தவொருபசப்பும்இல்லாதுஆனால்இசைஎப்படிஎளியமனங்களின்மிகஎளிய மனங்களின் மிக
எளிய, மிக இனிய இணைப்பு மொழியாக நிகழ்கிறது என காட்சிப்படுத்தும் இந்தத் திரைப்படம்
நிச்சயம் வசியப்படுத்தும் ஓர் அனுபவம்.
A brilliant film with stunning visuals and a lot of symbolism!
Khorshid, a blind boy, living with his mother, has to work as a music instrument tuner struggling to make ends meet. In his daily routine of commuting from home through a market, in a bus and a walk through scores of metal-working factories to his music shop, he often gets distracted by pleasant voices or music and goes behind the origin of the voice/music.
Though he realises that his internal penchant for music and expected perfection in its tone and pitch is making him earn scorn from his employer, he believes that he is right in going after the music. His mother's incessant reminder every day morning that he needs to get more money from his employer to pay for their rent or soon they will be in the streets, hurts him visibly as he wanders towards his music shop - but only till he hears a good piece of music!
The beauty of the scenic shots are enhanced by minimal but adequate photographic movement and the finesse of BGM for a film titled 'the silence' (almost close to the quality of live recording) are truly captivating.
The scenes where Nadereh dances when Khorshid tunes the instruments - in stunning close-ups with amazing blend-in of music are poetic! Also one can see how natural lighting and composition can be used to enhance the scope of expressions in the scene where Nadereh takes him to the spring to fetch water.
The film is also symbolic in many ways:
- the climax where Khorshid walks through the metal-working factory and commands the workers to follow a rhythm (reaching the beam of light, removing his shirt - leaves with an impactful end)
- the scenes where Khorshid wanders in search of the musician he wanted to hear, especially after being fired from the job
- the scene where Nadereh, takes Khorshid by another route to the spring to avoid a way where there is 'a person threatening girls who are not wearing scarves'. But when they pass him, he sees them playing a string instrument (a beautiful piece) with his machine gun rested away from him.
I think, these three representations capture the inner struggle of a true and budding musician who aspires to rise above the worldly trivia. The director also conveys that even when religious extremism does nothing to help the non-school going, working children like Nadereh and Khorshed, also indicating a total governmental system failure, music could be a healing medicine or bridge between the divides.
I finally figured out what was the water splashing sound that Khorshid hears whenever he plugs his ears. When he goes after the musician, disturbed by the impending eviction by their land-lord, worse, also losing the job, he plugs his ears only to repeatedly hear wave splashing sound. When unplugs, he could hear the music and other external sounds.
The landlord everyday comes to their house in the morning by a boat to ask for the rent and that this is the splashing noise which has filled the very sensitive Khorshid, who keeps hearing it internally when he shuts out the music!
That is, figuratively, music replaces the worries and vice versa.
A really loveable and moving film by a master craftsman!
Followed by a couple of breathtaking movies from Majid Majidi, I wanted to venture upon other renowned Iranian creators. It started a weekend with Jafar Panahi's acclaimed 'The White Balloon', his directorial debut. The crisp screenplay by Abbas Kiarostami, another Iranian great himself, complements the narration and adequate cinematography - to put it correctly, every element in required measure.
The story is about the seven year old Razieh and her elder brother Ali. On the eve of the Iranian new year, Razieh and her mother are returning from shopping as the family is gearing up for festivities. The opening scene at the market place where the mother moves into the frame nonchalantly searching for the missing Razieh also introduces almost all major characters in the film - the arguing customer of the tailor, the afghan balloon seller and the Iranian soldier, being dropped.
Though Panahi does not introduce them to the viewer nor appearing in sequence of their later reappearance or importance, this is a curious technique - which I have heard of being used in films which revolve around catastrophic themes and larger-than life portrayals.
Razieh pushes her mother to give her the last 500 toman note for her to buy the 'chubby, white, four-finned and the dancing gold fish' for new year - maneuvering through her brother. She loses the money to two snake-charmers and gets it back from them only to lose it again, this time falling into a dry sewer in front of a closed shop. She convinces the next door shopowner to help her, gets her brother to help her and others as well.
They manage to retrieve it by using the Afghan balloon seller's stick, by placing a chewing gum at the tip.
The sub plots
Razieh is symbolised as how a modern woman should be: clear, forceful, resourceful and goal-oriented.
Clear - as she know what she wants and why she wants it. The way she explains how the fish looks, why it needs to be bought and how it differs to the 'skinny' ones she has shows the clarity of thinking.
Forceful - Razieh never lets her ambition down. Right through the movie people keep telling her many negative ideas - no need to buy the fish, no money, no time... she never once listens and single-mindedly engage with all of them, only to convince them that the fish needs to be bought, money needs to be given to her or the note needs to be retrieved from the gutter - somehow. Not once she ditches her ambition and nor she leaves guard of the money.
At one instance, she has the thoughtfulness to run to the fish seller and make him reserve the fish, negotiates with him and explains she will get back before shop-closing time and will buy the fish.
Resourceful - right from making her brother go after the next shop's owner to trace the owner of the closed shop to enlisting the balloon seller to help them retrieve the bank note, Razieh keeps looking for resources to help her win the situation. She, failing to convince her mom to give money, barters her balloon with her brother to make him get the money from mother. There are ample scenes right through the film where Panahi establishes this trait.
Goal-oriented - she never wavers from her goal, even when Ali is concerned about getting late to go back, they not able to trace the shop owner, the stranger (Iranian soldier) sitting next to her, knowing about the money inside the gutter, Razieh never once talks about mother, festivities, getting late and so on.
I believe Jafar Panahi symbolises her character with what he envisages for Iranian or more generally women. The beauty of a simple script and very adept dialogues adds a lot of texture to this neat work.
There are many minor symbolisms right through the movie but the three intriguing ones are:
Three Questions
Why is Razieh's father not shown right through the film,in spite of being a nagging voice?
Why is the film ending on the Afghan balloon seller, rather than on Razieh and Ali?
What is the connection of the title 'The White Balloon' - the balloon seller has one remaining white balloon; Razieh wears a white dress; she wishes to buy a white gold fish.
மிகத் தரமான ஒரு படத்திற்கு மிக அழகான விமர்சனம். மற்றுமொருமுறை விகடன் புதுத் திறமைகளை அடையாளம் கண்டு வரவேற்கும் தலை வாசல் என்ற எண்ணம் உறுதிப்பட்டது.
வழக்கம் போல் உங்கள் விமர்சனம் படித்து விட்டு படம் பார்த்து முடித்ததும் இயக்குனர் சரவணன் படத்தின் முடிவில் சொல்ல நினைத்திருக்கக் கூடிய இன்னொரு கோணம் தோன்றியது.
ஜெய் - அஞ்சலி காதலில் அனைத்து நிகழ்வுகளுமே முன்கூட்டி தீர்மானிக்கப் பட்டவை. அவள் அவன் அறைக்குள் புகுந்து சம்பளம் என்ன என்று பார்ப்பதிலிருந்து, தன் தந்தையை பார்க்கச் சொல்வது, அவன் தாயிடம் சொல்லச் சொல்வது என அவள் அவனுடனான தற்கால வாழ்க்கை மட்டுமல்லாது எதிர்கால பந்தத்தையும் சேர்த்தே திட்டமிடுகிறாள். "அம்பது வருஷம் உன் கூட வாழ வேண்டாமா?" என்று கேட்கிறாள்.
ஆனால் எதிர்பாராத அந்த விபத்து அவர்களை பிரிக்கிறது.
அனன்யா-சர்வா காதலிலோ எதுவுமே திட்டமிட்டவை அல்ல. அவர்கள் சந்திப்பு, அந்த ஒரு நாளில் அவர்கள் ஏறி இறங்கும் பயணங்கள் என முன்னறிவிப்பில்லாமல் நகர்கிறது. பேருந்தில் அவனருகில் இருக்கை காலியானதும் அமர எழுந்து, அந்த நிறுத்தத்திலேயே இறங்கும் அந்த ஏமாற்ற தருணங்கள் உட்பட. பெயரோ, தொலைபேசி எண்ணோ கூடத் தெரியாத ஒரு நிச்சயமின்மை. வாழ்வில் இனி எப்போதும் சந்திப்போமா என்ற சந்தேகம் அவர்களை இயக்குகிறது.
அவர்களின் நிச்சயமற்ற தருணங்களை அந்த விபத்து அவர்களை சேர்ப்பதின் மூலம் நிறைவு செய்கிறது.
இயக்குனர் தேர்ந்தெடுத்த முடிவின் மூலம் இந்த கான்ட்ராஸ்ட்-ஐ அடையாளப்படுத்துகிறார் என நினைக்கிறேன்.
மிகத் தெளிவாகவும் மிக நேர்த்தியாகவும் சரவணன் இந்த கான்ட்ராஸ்ட்-ஐ படம் நெடுகிலும் முடிவை நோக்கி கொண்டு சென்றிருக்கிறார்.
ரசனையின் எதிர்பார்ப்பில் மற்றொரு நல்ல படத்தை விரைவில் தருவார் என எதிர்பார்க்கும்,
Stunning compilation of visuals. The clarity and angles are breathtaking, indeed.
Extraordinary use of time-lapse and multiple exposure shots...
The director/cinematographer, Ron Fricke, and editors (three of them, one is Ron Fricke) have all revolved with a constraint of having to create an impact within two to three minutes, which seems to be the length of a theme...
Background score has fallen short of my expectations, however, to this brilliantly edited film.
Most themes are composed, in my opinion, with three basic movements.
a) the subject moves in the frame
b) the camera moves for compensating a still object and/or
c) fantastically, time moves!
As in the case of an aerial view of a canyon, night falls, dawn breaks, day lingers and dusk falls - all creating movement in an otherwise still frame. Fantastic!
In one memorable shot, a buddhist monk walks slowly entering the frame from left to light, clinging a bell...
The camera moves all of a sudden - along with him, in the same forward direction, at the same speed of his, in resonance with his rhythmic walk and bell's sound, creating an unbelievable effect...
The film, traversing through all spheres of human life in almost all habited parts of world, places few important inferences for me.
• Basic human emotions such as love and hunger are most memorably expressed in similar fashions
• Poverty and seeking solace with either fellow companionship or in religion (often mistaken for spirituality) are universal
• All world religions, without any exception, tend to keep people entrenched in religious rituals. Shots describing massive temples, synagogues, mosques and churches all testify that. They create an awe in a 'small' man invoking obedience and allegiance
• Finally, nature is and should be the true religion, which is omnipresent, majestic, still guiding and feeding the humanity
Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai has received and will be receiving numerous glowing reviews. Mine, for this 1954 film which is set in the 16th century Japan, should be forgiven for its limited understanding and constrained knowledge.
This is my second experience with Kurosawa, the first being his ‘Rashomon’, another classic. I was to write about Rashomon, but watching ‘Seven Samurai’ made the decision reversed and an immediate urge to express my feelings on this masterpiece was irresistible.
The film is 3 hours 27 minutes long, co-written, edited and directed by Akira Kurosawa. Music is by Fumio Hayasaka and cinematography is by Asakazu Nakai. Story revolves around a village of farmers who are repeatedly looted by a group of bandits hire seven samurai to fight and destroy the bandits.
Kurosawa’s two preferred actors for most of his films play the lead roles. Takashi Shimura plays Kambei Shimada, the aged, strategic samurai who is the leader of the seven. Toshirō Mifune, the energetic bandit in Rashomon, plays the role of Kakuchiyo, the playful, show-off, brave outcast who is later accepted as a samurai.
Cinematography
Very slick and concise in camera movements, cinematography for this black and white film is memorable for three reasons: one, as widely acknowledged, Kurosawa’s use of wide angle lenses which tends to flatten the depth of field. He addresses that issue by enhancing the contrast between foreground, midfield and background subjects. Combining light and darkness/shade for the foreground objects to the background creates a stunning painting like quality, hallmark of Kurosawa.
Second, composition of frames. Shots without faster camera movements are invariably composed systematically, symmetrically and aesthetically. I could not recollect even one frame which is not elegantly composed.
Third, creating sense of movement. Be it horses speeding through mountainous jungles or samurai running across the thick shrub, the speed with which camera moves with the subject creates the sense of viewer moving with the subject. Be it difficult terrain with steep gradient or thick forests, the precision and maintenance of focus is absoloute.
Music
As in Rashomon, mostly single instrument is preferred, but in Seven Samurai, there are certain orchestration and strings involved, often mingled with chorus. In critical situations, Kurosawa leaves with actual BGM and cuts off any instrumental accompaniment as in the climax.
BGM
Very sensitive and meticulous mixing of actual BGMs run throughout the film. The hut in which the seven samurai stay has a small stream running by the side. Whenever the camera enters the hut, distant gurgling of water starts. Not one scene misses it.
In the climax, a calculated mix of sounds of rain, feet crumpling in the mud, trampling horses’ hooves and human cries with the editing of Kurosawa projects a very powerful visual. Larger legs of horses and thin legs of men move in an intertwined pattern of back and forth in the close-up shot creating the mayhem in the viewer’s mind.
Acting
Takashi Shimura as Kambei Shimada, the leader of the samurai, is a philosophical, war scarred veteran. The wry smile and cool headedness, even during the most trying times like unwelcoming attitude of the farmers initially, their accusations, losing his men – he holds aloft the character.
Only scene where his eyes gloss with tears, that too a suggestion, was when Kakuchiyo pours out that it was samurai who had made the farmers greedy and ruthless by killing them and raping their women. By his histrionics, Kakuchiyo reveals unintentionally that he was not a samurai by birth, but a farmer’s son himself. Kambei Shimada, sitting quietly all through the show, lifts his head to Kakuchiyo and as camera moves to a closer shot, one could see his face as calm as ever, lips uttering, ‘You are a farmer’s son!’ but eyes filling up.
I do not recollect such histrionics in performing an ebullient and rebellious character. May be M.N. Nambiar of Tamil filmdom, I think I can equate to Toshiro Mifune’s Kakuchiyo in Seven Samurai. Kakuchiyo is fun loving, poking the villagers to be brave, loud and often mischievous. Brave and often trying extra hard to prove a point to the leader (probably because he is originally an outcast and not a samurai) in his commitment to the cause, he dies in the climax, killing the bandit leader.
There was this 3 minutes solo scene for Mifune, when the samurai team finds out that the farmers are not as innocent as they look and they have killed samurai earlier in fear of losing their women to samurai. As the team sits and muses over it, Kakuchiyo (Mifune), wearing an armour of a deceased samurai, performs a scene which I think is matched only by Al Pacino in the climax scene of ‘The Devil’s Advocate’ as a Satan, for its grace and intensity.
Kikuchiyo accepts that the farmers are deceiving and yes, they had killed samurai earlier as well. But who had made them do that? It was samurai, he accuses, pointing his finger at the other six sitting watching his intensity. He finishes, breaks and falls to the ground and weeps.
Again the composition of the shot is marvelous. To Kakuchiyo’s back was the opening to the hut, outside which was brightly lit, so brightly lit that no objects were identifiable. The squarish opening to the hut forms the background canvas for the bearded Kakuchiyo with dark metal helmet and armour, moving across the canvas in a mid long shot. Looking directly into the camera for almost the entire shot, Mifune gives an unforgettable performance.
Editing
Akira Kurosawa’s editing is crisp, to say the least. Not one shot or the length of any frame is superfluous in the entire film. Uncomplicated cuts and mix of close-ups and mid shots make one wonder how adequate it would be for master director to be editors themselves!
Human Values
When samurai enter the village, the farmers are unwelcoming since they fear that samurai could covet their women and say so to them. Yet they finally settle down amicably with samurai to fight against the bandits. Kambei, the leader of samurai, commits nothing to the villagers on that and sets about setting the place right.
But mid way through their preparations, the youngest samurai of the seven, Katsushiro falls in love with Shino, a village girl, who stimulates him to be with her. When he hesitates, she even calls him, chicken.
On the eve of the final battle with the bandits, she pulls him into a hut and they come out of it after a union. Father of the girl catches them red handed and becomes furious. In front of the leader, he accuses that the samurai had seduced his daughter. The girl cries silently not refuting the allegation. The high point of the scene is Kambei remains silent and when the father refuses to get calm, one by one, the crowd, the father, Kambei and his men leave the scene, all in different direction into the night, leaving the weeping girl on the ground and the young samurai alone facing different directions – from an aerial view.
The girl was selfish – representing the farmers’ collective opinion about samurai and their utility to them. When the final battle with the bandits was won, losing four samurai, including Mifune, they prepare to leave the village. The villagers were enjoying, playing drums and singing songs and planting paddy seedlings – none of them accompanying the remaining three samurai.
As the three depart, the girl approaches and crosses the young samurai without a word, goes over to her field. The samurai hesitates, turns from his master toward the girls and steps with a hurt look. The girl glances back on him, and in a swift move to her work as it to swipe everything off what happened the previous night, she starts to plant the seedlings with a hurried song.
She had, while luring the samurai into the hut the previous night, says to him that they may not live the next day, meaning time is short and that they should make love. The unsuspecting young samurai replies, “We may live”.
The farmers feigned weakness and fear of the bandits. Yet they hid the fact that they had killed some samurai earlier. The farmers had lost very few in the defeat of the bandits for paying just three meals a day to the samurai and as their goal is achieved, their innocence or cowardice was taken over by their crude happiness. Kambei muses dryly to the other samurai that they were defeated and it was the farmers who had won. He means that they had fought other’s battle and were not reciprocated.
That single statement was the only expression of resentment from the samurai who otherwise was a committed soldier. This questions the values of fighting for a cause and the reciprocation for the losses suffered. How a class is ruthless, extracting and yet surreptitiously vile to others is depicted subtly.
Use of Nature as Elements
As always Akira Kurosawa uses all natural elements – jungle, mountains, streams, trees and even wind to maximize the composition of frames and enhance the impact value of the scenes.
His favourite element, rain, returns in the climax to a grand effect, creating a dark mood. Felling of humans and horses, mud sodden bodies and criss-crossing shots amidst the non-ceasing rain and thick BGM adds to the heightening climax.
In contrast, the immediate next scene depicts the samurai leaving the village, as the farmers return to their fields, singing in bright sunshine, in clear mix of shots. The shock value created of this intentional mix of mood and contrast is immense.
சிங்கப்பூரில் பார்த்த இரண்டே கால் மணி நேர படத்தில் (மூன்று பாடல்கள் இல்லை; மற்ற எதெல்லாம் இல்லை என தெரியவில்லை) முதலில் எழுந்த எண்ணங்கள் முதலில்:
பாலா இன்னும் கொஞ்சம் சீரியஸ் -ஆக எடுத்திருக்கலாமே? பிச்சைக்காரர்களின் வாழ்வு பரிதாபம் ஊட்டவில்லை சரி. ஆனால் வேடிக்கையாகவும் இருந்திருக்க வேண்டாமே? ஏறக்குறைய அனைத்து முக்கிய கட்டங்களிலும் நகைச்சுவை மிளிர பேசுவது காட்சியின் அடர்த்தியை குறைக்கிறது.
அகோர கால பைரவன் என்றால் அடித் தொண்டையில் ஏன் பேச வேண்டும்? அம்சவல்லி பிச்சை எடுக்கும்போது பாடும் பழைய தமிழ் திரைப்பட பாடல்கள் ஏன் அந்தந்த ஒரிஜினல் பாடல்களாக இருக்க வேண்டும்? ஏன் அந்த கதா பாத்திரத்தின் குரலில் இருந்திருக்க கூடாது?
ஏழாம் உலகம் படித்து விட்டு படத்தை பார்ப்பதிலும் ஒரு சிக்கல்.
கோலப்ப பிள்ளையின் நார்மல் முகம், தந்தை முகம், கணவனின் முகம் என பல நினைவுகள் ஓடுவதை படம் பார்க்கும்போது தவிர்க்க முடியவில்லை - அந்த முகங்களுக்கும் அவரின் தொழில் முகத்திற்கும் உள்ள முரணே அந்த கதையில் இருந்த ஷாக் வேல்யு. தாண்டவனின் அந்த முகங்கள் இல்லாதது கதையின் பிடிமானத்தை அசைக்கிறது. ஒரு வேளை ஏழாம் உலகம் படிக்காமல் பார்த்திருந்தால் வேறு மாதிரி படுமோ என்னவோ?
ருத்ரனுக்கு கஞ்சா குடிப்பதையும் நீரில் மூழ்கி எழுவதையும், பல வித நிலைகளில் யோகம் புரிவதையும் தவிர (கிளைமாக்ஸ் தவிர) வேறு அழுத்தமான உணர்வுகளை உண்டாக்கும்படி காட்சிகள் இல்லாமலிருப்பது ஏமாற்றமளிக்கிறது.
'நான் கடவுள்' என்ற பதத்திற்கு இன்னும் கதை மாந்தர்கள் மூலமாக நிகழ்வுகளையும், விளக்கங்களையும் கொடுத்திருக்கலாமோ?
காசியின் அந்த அசாதாரண சூழலுக்கும் தாண்டவனின் அந்த பிச்சை கிடங்குக்கும் இடையே ஏதோ ஒரு இணைப்பு இழை ஓடுகிறது என்றாலும் சூக்குமமாக அதை புரிந்து கொள்ள முடியவில்லை.
பின் பாதியில் வரும் காட்சித் தளங்களில் மாற்றம் இல்லாமல் ஒரே படிக்கட்டு, கற்கள், புதர்கள், ருத்ரன் வசிக்கும் பாழடைந்த கோவில் என்றிருப்பது வெறுமை கூட்டுகிறது.
இனி, இப்படி ஒரு கதையை சொல்ல பாலாவால் மட்டுமே முடியும். ஜெயமோகனின் வசனங்கள் கூர்மை; ஆர்தர் வில்சனின் ஒளிப்பதிவு அற்புதம்; இளையராஜா - முற்பாதியில் தோற்கருவிகளும், சிம்பல்சும். பிற்பாதியில் வயலின்களின் சாம்ராஜ்யம். ராஜா கொண்டுவந்திருக்கும் தொழில் நுட்பம், காட்டியிருக்கும் நேர்த்தி மற்றும் கதையின் புரிதலும் அழுத்தமும் மிக மிக உயர்தரம். இன்று இந்திய இசை சூழலில் இந்த படத்திற்கு யாராவது இசை அமைத்திருக்க முடியுமா என்று எடை போட்டால் கிடைக்கும் பதிலில் ராஜாவின் மேதமை தெரிந்து விடும்.
இன்னும், ஒப்பனை கலைஞர்களின் உழைப்பு மெச்சும்படி.
"வாழ இயலாதவர்களுக்கு நான் தரும் மரணம் வரம்; வாழ கூடாதவர்களுக்கு தரும் மரணம் சாபம்" - இந்த கான்செப்ட் தெளிவுபட சொல்லப்பட்டிருப்பதாக எண்ணலாம். ஆனால் மரணம்தான் இயலாதவர்க்கும், கூடாதவர்க்கும் விடையா? வாழ்தல் என்பதற்கு என்ன பொருள்?
ஒரு வேளை, ருத்ரன் என்பதால்தான் மரணம் விடையோ?
Monday, May 14, 2007
Paruthi Veeran
The film did not have a 'theme extrordinaire'. The canvas is not new. End is gory. Songs, though with regional fervour, are long and at times, poke at you.
But what is not missed in Ameer's third film, is the realism. Karthik, the debutant hero, has emoted well and has a face which has an ability to show a repertoire of classic expressions. Dubbing often reminds Sivakumar's famous mellifluous voice. Yuvan Shankar Raja's background score is more apt than in the songs, but the songs nevertheless are fine melodies and folk music in Tamil film music, at its best. The movie has a capricious blend of folklore, folk music and folk dance, though at times, is bit lengthy. Very realistic performances and apt casting helps the film to thrive on these elements.
Tone of the cinematography is bit harsh throughout but angles and movements are jerkless and conveys the required mood, partly due to editing. As for the cast, Saravanan, as the paternal uncle of the Hero, steals the heart. Ponvannan's stereotypic remarks could have been remodelled. All supportive staff are good in their performances.
And Priyamani....
A modern belle, only captioned sofar in rustic urban roles, stuns one by her performance. Her looks, dresses, walk, head tilted stare and that thick, not-so-feminine voice - all add to the character's worthiness. Though well shaped by Ameer, Priyamani steals the show throughout the movie. Her guts in be it, receiving blows from her father and continuing to eat with tears flowing eyes, countering paruththiveeran or at the climax, where she falls prey to a bunch of thugs, and the portrayal is commendable.
Then, why should a film with a anti-hero subject should end with a penalizing climax? That too why should an unquenchable here be punished with his lady being humiliated? Why is this slightly perverted justificastion? (which reminds Virumaandi and few other cliche Tamil films)
Apart from this stigma, I feel this is one film which made the characters lively with good technical contributions. Ameer has given a movie which will linger in our minds for long.
Recently, I saw Al Pacino's 'The Devil's Advocate', for nth time, since I've lost count of how many times I would have watched the movie.
Pacino's mere screen presence (eventhough he looks his real age), just carries the film and its message.
The coy smile, slightly exaggerated body language to suggest the lavishness and luxury of Devil and the modulation.... Al Pacino just steals the frames with the co-actor Keanu Reaves looking hapless.
Especially, in the climax block, when Al Pacino (read Devil) offers the young advocate the world (literally!), if he becomes a part of the empire and agrees to create a devilish-nexgen, one could see what seperates an ordinary actor and an extraordinary one like Pacino. He coerces, begs, commands and all the while moves and occupies the total stage like a conjurer listing out all his tricks to listless audience.
His gravely voice goes back and forth, high and low, reverberating and echoeing the message he wants to convey, all so powerfully! With a very subtly mixed FX as backdrop, when he completes his act, you are spellbound and could never help but applauding this great actor and such a great performance. The film, apart from Pacino's performance has a very noteworthy cinematography, background score and an apt editing, not racy not too subtle.
Al Pacino as Devil in the Climax
The film has its many ironies and paradoxes, intentionally inbuilt, like Keanu's mother, a staunch loyalist to God, is mothered by the Devil.
Comparing his contemporaries, the role what Al Pacino had played, one gets to think, could have been portrayed by Robert De Nero, but one doubts how far he would have fared. After all, after seeing Pacino, we compare with a benchmark!
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