I had a week off from work in the last week of December 2017. I had planned to visit Trichy and Madurai, but that was not destined to happen. Instead, I have experienced the simple pleasures of getting up later than usual, read the newspaper leisurely, savour breakfast and lunch and enjoy afternoon siestas ! On one day, I walked for a couple of miles on the spur of the moment. All in all, the week was restful.
Like me, there were a few other friends also who decided not to go out. To one of them, I suggested that she could stream and watch Malayalam movies, as she is from Kerala. Another friend of mine had sent me a link that showed me that a Kannada hit movie that I had seen in the theatre was available online for viewing. I suppose this was when I realised that I could also watch movies during my week off, since I purchased the Google Chromecast device a couple of months ago.
Typically, I have used Google Chromecast to stream old Hindi and English serials. My mother, my wife, my uncle and I have watched the '80s sitcom "Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi", the TV serial "Malgudi Days", the humourous "Wagle ki Duniya", "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes", "Mind your Language" and "Yes Minister" using Chromecast and and quite enjoyed all these serials ! The TV serials of these days seem invariably pit one family member against another (usually, female !) or soon twist and turn and meander away from the original storyline. This is a natural outcome of the fact that we have "daily soaps" instead of weekly ones, which were prevalent in the '80s and '90s.
I watched two good movies using the Google Chromecast device during my week off. The rest of this blog post shows my impressions about these two movies. NOTE: To get an idea of the stories of these movies, please visit the Wikipedia links provided. I have not provided much information on the plots.
The first movie was the classic "Rashomon" by Akiro Kurosawa. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rashomon describes the plot and the accolades that the movie has earned.
Reviews of "Rashomon" that I read on the Internet discuss about how one incident is distorted and described differently by different stakeholders. This is only one highlight of the movie. The important point in my view is how personal preferences and prejudices influence these viewpoints. I saw personal preferences affecting the different characters in the movie: The bandit boasts about his prowess in sword fighting ; the woman speaks about how her husband looked at her after the bandit violated her and the samurai's sense of honour emerges in his narrative. Thus, the innate characteristics of each person are embedded in their respective narratives. The way Kurosawa brings out these characteristics shows his mastery in direction.
Some scenes and passages from the movie stand out in my mind : the way the wife describes the expression on her samurai husband's face ; the maniacal laughter of the vicious bandit as he recounts how he deceived the samurai (did Amjad Khan watch Rashomon before he portrayed Gabbar Singh in "Sholay" ?! His loud laugh in the famous "Arre o Samba" passage in "Sholay" came to my mind immediately as I watched the bandit in "Rashomon" !) and the way the priest comes to grip with the contradictions in people.
Kurosawa examines morality in "Rashomon" well. The wife violated by the bandit chooses to free her husband, but he refuses to accept her. In one way, she is more honourable than him ! The wood cutter has stolen a dagger from a corpse. This appears to be a despicable act. However, he has six children to feed and is quite willing to adopt the baby as his seventh ! The movie is full of such "grey" characteristics of all its protagonists, including the priest and the commoner. It is a brilliant examination of the contradictions in human nature.
I see only a couple of points that detract from the movie's appeal : both the women in the movie appear to have painted eyebrows. I don't know if this is a Japanese cultural trait, but it looked artificial to me. I found it strange. Secondly, the appearance of the baby when the wood cutter, the priest and the commoner finish their narratives is probably unnecessary. Where did the baby come from ? Who are its parents ? Why was the infant abandoned ? By the end of the movie, I was left feeling a little unsatisfied regarding these questions.
However, these are minor points. I would watch "Rashomon" again, willingly. To me, the manner in which Kurosawa shows how individual preferences serve as "tinted glasses" is the highlight of the movie. Naturally, the world would appear coloured in these glasses !
Having watched "Rashomon", I was determined to watch a movie by an Indian film maker. Unfortunately, there were relatively fewer regional ones with subtitles. I did find one finally: "Apur Sansar" or "Apu's World", by Satyajit Ray. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_World_of_Apu contains a synopsis of the plot. I like to compare "Apur Sansar" to a flowing river. The movie moves at a brisk pace and is lively at all times.
Apurba is an idealistic young man, whose passion is writing. He becomes an accidental husband due to circumstances when he accompanies his friend Pulu to his cousin Aparna's wedding. Later, he abandons his son Kajal associating him with the loss of Aparna at childbirth. Towards the end, he attempts to befriend Kajal. Having never seen his father before, Kajal is wary initially. The climax suggests that father and son are united at last.
Satyajit Ray brings out the spirit of the time and place in the movie. The landlord doggedly seeking rent ; the other curious tenants in Apu's lodging ; the sound of the train near Apu's lowly house ; the woman sewing a dress, distracted by Apu and Aparna ascending the stairs in Apu's lodging all serve to create a wonderful atmosphere. Having seen chawls in Mumbai, I could identify with the city life portrayed by Satyajit Ray in "Apur Sansar".
I like the way that the characters are developed by Satyajit Ray in "Apur Sansar". Apu's idealism and love for literature emerge early in the movie. His friend Pulu is more money-minded, which is also brought out well. It is evident that Aparna is brought up in a relatively well-off household. Apu asks her if she can live in poverty. She bravely says yes and nods on the wedding night. When she enters Apu's house and sees its sparse furnishings, the truth hits her. Satyajit Ray shows her breaking down, peering out of a torn cloth that serves as a curtain for a window. Yet, a few minutes later, there is a change: the torn cloth is replaced ! I suppose this incident symbolises how Aparna has begun to cope in her new life !
"Apur Sansar" is a beautiful movie, which shows Satyajit Ray's class. My mother and I started watching it one afternoon, having eaten lunch. My wife missed the movie since she was away at work. Both my mother and I were so engrossed in the movie, we almost missed our afternoon naps ! We resumed watching it that very evening.
Often, when I finish reading a good novel, I feel a curious combination of emotions. On one hand, the primary feeling is one of satisfaction and joy. On the other hand, there is also a tinge of regret that the book has ended ! I felt this after reading "The Return of the King" and "The Da Vinci Code". As "Apur Sansar" drew to a close, I experienced the same sensations !
Personal preferences may vary, but if I were asked whether "Rashomon" and "Apur Sansar" are worth watching, my answer would be a clear "Yes" !
Like me, there were a few other friends also who decided not to go out. To one of them, I suggested that she could stream and watch Malayalam movies, as she is from Kerala. Another friend of mine had sent me a link that showed me that a Kannada hit movie that I had seen in the theatre was available online for viewing. I suppose this was when I realised that I could also watch movies during my week off, since I purchased the Google Chromecast device a couple of months ago.
Typically, I have used Google Chromecast to stream old Hindi and English serials. My mother, my wife, my uncle and I have watched the '80s sitcom "Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi", the TV serial "Malgudi Days", the humourous "Wagle ki Duniya", "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes", "Mind your Language" and "Yes Minister" using Chromecast and and quite enjoyed all these serials ! The TV serials of these days seem invariably pit one family member against another (usually, female !) or soon twist and turn and meander away from the original storyline. This is a natural outcome of the fact that we have "daily soaps" instead of weekly ones, which were prevalent in the '80s and '90s.
I watched two good movies using the Google Chromecast device during my week off. The rest of this blog post shows my impressions about these two movies. NOTE: To get an idea of the stories of these movies, please visit the Wikipedia links provided. I have not provided much information on the plots.
The first movie was the classic "Rashomon" by Akiro Kurosawa. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rashomon describes the plot and the accolades that the movie has earned.
Reviews of "Rashomon" that I read on the Internet discuss about how one incident is distorted and described differently by different stakeholders. This is only one highlight of the movie. The important point in my view is how personal preferences and prejudices influence these viewpoints. I saw personal preferences affecting the different characters in the movie: The bandit boasts about his prowess in sword fighting ; the woman speaks about how her husband looked at her after the bandit violated her and the samurai's sense of honour emerges in his narrative. Thus, the innate characteristics of each person are embedded in their respective narratives. The way Kurosawa brings out these characteristics shows his mastery in direction.
Some scenes and passages from the movie stand out in my mind : the way the wife describes the expression on her samurai husband's face ; the maniacal laughter of the vicious bandit as he recounts how he deceived the samurai (did Amjad Khan watch Rashomon before he portrayed Gabbar Singh in "Sholay" ?! His loud laugh in the famous "Arre o Samba" passage in "Sholay" came to my mind immediately as I watched the bandit in "Rashomon" !) and the way the priest comes to grip with the contradictions in people.
Kurosawa examines morality in "Rashomon" well. The wife violated by the bandit chooses to free her husband, but he refuses to accept her. In one way, she is more honourable than him ! The wood cutter has stolen a dagger from a corpse. This appears to be a despicable act. However, he has six children to feed and is quite willing to adopt the baby as his seventh ! The movie is full of such "grey" characteristics of all its protagonists, including the priest and the commoner. It is a brilliant examination of the contradictions in human nature.
I see only a couple of points that detract from the movie's appeal : both the women in the movie appear to have painted eyebrows. I don't know if this is a Japanese cultural trait, but it looked artificial to me. I found it strange. Secondly, the appearance of the baby when the wood cutter, the priest and the commoner finish their narratives is probably unnecessary. Where did the baby come from ? Who are its parents ? Why was the infant abandoned ? By the end of the movie, I was left feeling a little unsatisfied regarding these questions.
However, these are minor points. I would watch "Rashomon" again, willingly. To me, the manner in which Kurosawa shows how individual preferences serve as "tinted glasses" is the highlight of the movie. Naturally, the world would appear coloured in these glasses !
Having watched "Rashomon", I was determined to watch a movie by an Indian film maker. Unfortunately, there were relatively fewer regional ones with subtitles. I did find one finally: "Apur Sansar" or "Apu's World", by Satyajit Ray. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_World_of_Apu contains a synopsis of the plot. I like to compare "Apur Sansar" to a flowing river. The movie moves at a brisk pace and is lively at all times.
Apurba is an idealistic young man, whose passion is writing. He becomes an accidental husband due to circumstances when he accompanies his friend Pulu to his cousin Aparna's wedding. Later, he abandons his son Kajal associating him with the loss of Aparna at childbirth. Towards the end, he attempts to befriend Kajal. Having never seen his father before, Kajal is wary initially. The climax suggests that father and son are united at last.
Satyajit Ray brings out the spirit of the time and place in the movie. The landlord doggedly seeking rent ; the other curious tenants in Apu's lodging ; the sound of the train near Apu's lowly house ; the woman sewing a dress, distracted by Apu and Aparna ascending the stairs in Apu's lodging all serve to create a wonderful atmosphere. Having seen chawls in Mumbai, I could identify with the city life portrayed by Satyajit Ray in "Apur Sansar".
I like the way that the characters are developed by Satyajit Ray in "Apur Sansar". Apu's idealism and love for literature emerge early in the movie. His friend Pulu is more money-minded, which is also brought out well. It is evident that Aparna is brought up in a relatively well-off household. Apu asks her if she can live in poverty. She bravely says yes and nods on the wedding night. When she enters Apu's house and sees its sparse furnishings, the truth hits her. Satyajit Ray shows her breaking down, peering out of a torn cloth that serves as a curtain for a window. Yet, a few minutes later, there is a change: the torn cloth is replaced ! I suppose this incident symbolises how Aparna has begun to cope in her new life !
"Apur Sansar" is a beautiful movie, which shows Satyajit Ray's class. My mother and I started watching it one afternoon, having eaten lunch. My wife missed the movie since she was away at work. Both my mother and I were so engrossed in the movie, we almost missed our afternoon naps ! We resumed watching it that very evening.
Often, when I finish reading a good novel, I feel a curious combination of emotions. On one hand, the primary feeling is one of satisfaction and joy. On the other hand, there is also a tinge of regret that the book has ended ! I felt this after reading "The Return of the King" and "The Da Vinci Code". As "Apur Sansar" drew to a close, I experienced the same sensations !
Personal preferences may vary, but if I were asked whether "Rashomon" and "Apur Sansar" are worth watching, my answer would be a clear "Yes" !
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