Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Ravan-Ten Headed Bore

24.06.2010

I saw Ravanan, the movie today. Well, the good points first… Great Location…Great acting from Vikram. The last scene especially the Bridge Fight is great. The setting and the intense action reminded me of Valmiki’s failure to describe the fight between Rama and Ravana. He says there is nothing to compare with the sky or the ocean…they are incomparable. In the same way the only thing with which the personal battle between Ram and Ravan can be compared is itself! This thought was bought out in the fight scene almost in the air over a deep chasm!

Having said this the rest of the movie is boring and the link with the Ramayan is tenuous and contrived. For example a sculpture of Vishnu lies on an Island in the middle of the river in a remote valley where nobody dares to go. How did it come there? Not to mention the obvious loss of continuity due to change in locale from Amba Samudram in deep south Tamilnadu to somewhere North. We are so busy figuring this out that we miss the impact of a pivotal scene.

There is no social message. “Peranmai” the Jeyam Ravi starrer was more relevant to the displacement of the tribals and the atrocities of the police and army while attempting to strike a patriotic and more positive note.

The killing of Veera by the police officer is so obvious and filmy. Similarly, the dialogue that Ice spouts immediately after she is abducted by goondas is so cheesy. Any one would be scared shitless in that situation, not quoting “Jayamundu Bhayamillai in chaste Tamil! And the uneducated dacoit joins in the chorus for his only perfect Tamil dialogue. Aw…c’mon Mrs. Mani Ratnam…there’s a limit.

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Murudeeshwar