Obsessing on a Swine obsession!

Sure, we have snickered at them, snorted at their eccentricities and ridiculed their compulsive disorders. Remember Jack Nicholson as Melvin Udall in ‘As Good as it Gets’? This dogmatist absolutely refuses to use the same bar of soap twice. He abhorrently carries his own plastic cutlery to diners which seemingly and very justifiably infuriates the staff. Most of us may shun these traits of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, but with the current pandemic scenario do we dismiss them as whimsical and eccentric?

Image copyright of TriStar Pictures.

Another lovable victim of the OCD is Adrian Monk, played by Tony Shalhoub in the TV series aptly titled ‘Monk’. Apart from having germophobia, this ex-cop has three hundred and twelve fears, from milk, ladybugs, harmonicas, heights, risk and imperfections. One sees Monk grossly refraining from pressing lift buttons, staircase railings. With his assuring and endless stock of tissues, this detective goes about his business in the most immaculate manner.

Image copyright of USA Network & NBC Universal.

Interestingly, with contagious diseases raging rampant, Udall and Monk's ridiculed pathological germophobia give them an edge! Aren’t precautionary measures for Swine Flu obsessively ringing a bell?

So the next time you see an OCD victim, remind yourself, this victim of the boon might end up living longer than you!

Dream a dream – Part II

Every idea has two aspects, the humane and the evil. What happens if the only sanctuary known to man is evaded, exploited and commercialized?

Paprika explores the possibility of watching someone else’s dream, participating in this highly individualistic, personal activity. The conflict arises when DC Mini, the device that allows therapists to enter a patient’s dreams is stolen. All hell breaks loose, people jump off buildings, talking gibberish, possessed by some diabolical whim.

The beauty of such concepts is the freedom of expression they offer. Nothing is better than being able to see a person’s thoughts. And that’s exactly what you can expect from the film. Bizarre visuals, disconnected frames blatantly justified by their existence as a dream. The medium of animation lends itself beautifully to the narrative, allowing bizarre depictions of characters and plot.

Sigmund Freud would have been gleefully proud of this visual dichotomy of mind and body. Watch it, and you will never dream the same again...

Dream a dream

Akira Kurosawa’s Dreams is about what dreams are supposed to be, vivid contradictions and clashing ideologies. There is ambiguity of time and logic, stories mangled in a muddle of imagery and sound.

Apparently inspired by Kurosawa’s actual dreams, they tell the tale of hope and despair, the past and future. It personifies a grotesque glimpse of tomorrow infused by the actions of today. The social message is very clear, man is exploiting nature for his immediate gain and is about to reap annihilation.

The dreams are an octet some entirely disconnected, some woven in time and space. Not surprisingly, my most favoured story was ‘Crows’, where the artist jumps into Vincent Van Gogh’s paintings and meets him in person. Martin Scorsese plays the freakishly enthused Vincent who claims to work his body like a locomotive. Another dream worth mentioning is “blizzard’, slow and surreal, it seems endless to the point of imbuing sleep.

The sensibilities of the film are Japanese, music and dance very spontaneously carry the narrative with beautiful rhythm. The color palette varies vividly based on the storyline. I like the way Kurosawa lingers on the shot a little longer than usual, letting you gather your thoughts on the story so far.

Over all, it is a visual abstraction of his mind, which undoubtedly is genius supreme.

P.S. 1. There’s an interesting line in a film called ‘Paprika’ which goes “Don't you think dreams and the Internet are similar? They are both areas where the repressed conscious mind vents.”

2. The image associated with this blog post is a depiction of my dreams and nightmares, I call them “Monstrosities out of nothing”.

Lust for life

Based on a novel by Irving Stone, Lust for life follows the life and trepidations of Vincent Van Gogh, the genius Dutch post impressionist.

Although it is never possible to show a person’s life completely, the storyline makes a sincere attempt to portray the events which shaped Vincent.

A man tormented by heartbreaks and loneliness, art is the only thing which keeps him going. Highly erratic in his behavior, he finds love and support only from his younger sibling Theo.

Having already read about Vincent, never have I dreaded the reality so much, dreaded the end and the pain that follows. I was choked up all throughout the film. There is a Vincent in all of us, misunderstood, toiling with beliefs and principles, searching for the self and purpose. Tortured by self doubt, this genius seeks a deeper meaning through his art.

For the first time, I can see Vincent, not his thoughts, not his brush strokes, not his million dollar paintings, the yellow hues, but Vincent in flesh and blood. His agonies, his pain, his constant squabble with life itself. In his thirty seven years of living, he fervently paints life, peasant folk, emotions, hard work and toil.

The more he degrades himself, the better his art becomes, and this is the eternal irony of his life, which he eventually throws away himself. If only Vincent would ever know how he has shaped the face of modern art.

Not for a moment in the film does the actor Kirk Douglas make himself visible, just Vincent, his art and his lust for life.

Does one endure so much anguish in life to achieve genius, one can only wonder....

See Vincent’s brilliant work here.

Don Mclean has written a brilliant song as homage to Vincent Van Gogh called “Vincent” inspired by a painting called Starry Night. See it here.

The Sultans of Cinema

For all those who love Cinema, here is your chance to see some spectacular movies by some magnificent directors. Do not miss these films....

Zee Studio presents “Sultans of Cinema”.

10 directors, 26 brilliant films, 94 international awards.

The directors:

Kihachi Okamoto

Ingmar Bergman

Akira Kurosawa

Wong Kar-Wai

Jim Jarmusch

Wim Wenders

François Truffaut

Hiroshi Inagaki

Krzysztof Kieslowski

Pen-Ek Ratanaruang

The Films on Zee Studio:

End of Violence by Wim Wenders. Sunday April 06 2008, 3 pm.

Samurai by Hiroshi Inagaki. Sunday April 13 2008, 3 pm.

The Sword of Doom by Kihachi Okamoto. Sunday April 20 2008, 3 pm.

Summer Interlude by Ingmar Bergman. Sunday April 27 2008, 3 pm.

Summer with Monica by Ingmar Bergman. Sunday May 04 2008, 3 pm.

Wild Strawberries by Ingmar Bergman. Sunday May 11 2008, 3 pm.

Through a Glass Darkly by Ingmar Bergman. Sunday May 18 2008, 3 pm.

The Silence by Ingmar Bergman. Sunday May 25 2008, 3 pm.

Seven Samurai by Akira Kurosawa. Sunday June 01 2008, 3 pm.

The Throne of Blood by Akira Kurosawa. Sunday June 08 2008, 3 pm.

Yojimbo by Akira Kurosawa. Sunday June 15 2008, 3 pm.

High and Low by Akira Kurosawa. Sunday June 22 2008, 3 pm.

Red Beard by Akira Kurosawa. Sunday June 29 2008, 3 pm.

Shoot the Piano Player by François Truffaut. Sunday July 06 2008, 3 pm.

The Soft Skin by François Truffaut. Sunday July 13 2008, 3 pm.

Bed and Board by François Truffaut. Sunday July 20 2008, 3 pm.

Two English Girls by François Truffaut. Sunday July 27 2008, 3 pm.

The Woman Next Door by François Truffaut. Sunday August 03 2008, 3 pm.

Chunking Express by Wong Kar Wai. Sunday August 10 2008, 3 pm.

Fallen Angels by Wong Kar Wai. Sunday August 17 2008, 3 pm.

In the Mood for Love by Wong Kar Wai. Sunday August 24 2008, 3 pm.

Camera Buff by Krzysztof Kieslowski. Sunday August 31 2008, 3 pm.

Down by Law by Jim Jarmusch. Sunday September 07 2008, 3 pm.

Dead Man by Jim Jarmusch. Sunday September 14 2008, 3 pm.

Coffee and Cigarettes by Jim Jarmusch. Sunday September 21 2008, 3 pm.

6IXTYNIN9 by Pen-Ek Ratanaruang. Sunday September 28 2008, 3 pm.

For more information visit Zee Studio presents “Sultans of Cinema”

Watch them, and don’t forget to visit my blog for my views on these films, comments and discussions eagerly welcome....

The Hurricane – the victim or victimizer?

This post is about feeling wronged, wronged by the power of media. No other medium affects the mind more than cinema. It manipulates your thoughts, blatantly pushes you to see things intended for the audience to see. As I have mentioned before, cinema is a form of self indulgence, it’s about putting forth a personal perspective to the multi dimensional world around. But can this personal perspective surpass fact and actuality?

The venerated director Jean Luc Godard said "The cinema is truth 24 frames per second." But do we realize that there is no absolute truth? Truth is true as long as you believe it is.

The reason for this grumbling is the film “The Hurricane”. Saw it last night, and it ran me through a roller coaster of emotions. From pity, sympathy to relief and joy, I had a new idol now. The film based on the true life of Rubin Hurricane Carter, the African American middleweight boxer, whose only fault was the colour of his skin. Wrongly accused and persecuted for homicide by racist white people, it is his battle against adversity. Denzel Washington excels as the wronged prize fighter. Good wins over bad, transcending colour and race.

In reality, Rubin Carter’s innocence or guilt is highly controversial. He had support from celebrities like world champion Muhammad Ali, Bob Dylan who wrote and performed ‘The Hurricane’. There are others who believe he is guilty of all three murders.

But what irks me most is the ability of film makers to conveniently exclude important facts and presenting the character in just one light. Subtle positive visual hints reinforce Carter’s heroic position, forcing the audience to feel offended by his penalty. If the film makers believed so strongly in his innocence, they should have shown all the facts with conviction.

Watch “The Hurricane” with a lump in your throat and a gush of relief for your hero, and then visit this website http://www.graphicwitness.com/carter/.

Cal Deal brilliantly provides the facts in a most non-racist, no-biased fashion.

"Hurricane Carter: The Other Side of the Story"

http://www.graphicwitness.com/carter

RACISM & the Carter Case:

http://www.graphicwitness.com/carter/racism.html

The Case Against Carter (Prosecutor's Brief):

http://www.graphicwitness.com/carter/sarokinresponse.html

Carters Criminal, Psychiatric & Military Record

http://www.graphicwitness.com/carter/threat.html

The Violent Side of Rubin Carter

http://www.graphicwitness.com/carter/character.html

So is Hurricane really a hero or a villain? I will leave the judgment to you...

The ever growing spiral in Tim’s mind.....

It’s always interesting to follow the visual language of a film. Every director has his/her own distinct visual style, which reflects in everything that they do.

Tim Burton is one of my favorite directors and we have something in common, we both love spirals! Spirals give the illusion of movement, smooth and emanating endlessly.

Here are some instances of the presence of spirals in his popular films; they are present in characteristic features, as backgrounds and props.

Or you can get a detailed view of the 3 films here:

Image ™ and © Disney and its related entities.

Image ™ and © Warner Brothers its related entities.

Image ™ and © Warner Brothers and its related entities.