Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Earth - Unforgettable Favorite
After reading both reviews I connected more with Zarminae Ansari's. C.J.S. Wallia made some interesting points and I learned a little more history, but it seemed there was an agenda present. There is no doubt that the controversial subject matter covered in Mehta's film was super complex. I liked how she chose to express it through the eyes of Lenny. I think Lenny symbolizes the confusion, frustration, and lack of knowing exactly what the future holds for India and it's diverse population at the time of independence from Britain in 1947. One point that Ansari made that I agree with is that "a voyeuristic quality runs throughout the film and draws the audience in." I at times felt myself wondering what was going on in the mind of Lenny during so much turmoil. Her countries new found independence, Papoo's weddding, Shanta's admirers, and the violence that she witnessed. The scene where she was trying to fix her doll and how she gave up in frustration to cry was symbolic of the mess that India was in and there was NO easy fix. The issues this movie deals with will leave you thinking. This was the first Indian movie that I've seen and I really enjoyed it. Enough so that I viewed it twice just to make sure I picked up on everything. The acting was good and I enjoyed the music that was weaved into certain scenes. I'm hoping to see Water and Fire when time allows.
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4 comments:
Good point Sam about her inability to fix the doll as a metaphor for there being "no easy fix" to the country's wider problems--excellent insight indeed! Jeff
"I liked how she chose to express it through the eyes of Lenny..." I actually didn't care for L-baby's view, or in my opinion, her lack of view. I think her introduction to us was symbolic of her confusion about the partitioning of India, but somehow, that theme seemed to separate itself from L-B. I did like the voyeristic approach though. I wish it had been more developed through Shanta, or maybe not from a character in the film at all, but as if the viewer is the voyeur. This cinematic approach would have held my attention more.
"The scene where she [Shanta] was trying to fix her [L-B's] doll and how she gave up in frustration to cry was symbolic of the mess that India was in and there was NO easy fix." Great observation! I can't believe you had time to watch it twice. I just watched it earlier today.
Earth was indeed a shaking film. The main idea I felt was the religious tension between people of one land. Very interesting conflict!
A lot of people have had some interesting reasons why the story was framed from a child's perspective. Maybe it was a simple matter of who else. Who else could be more impartial and yet be part of the story and especially be around years later to express regrets? Who else could have aptly driven home the point that the "arbitrary lines drawn by the British scarred the subcontinent forever." (This may not be a perfectly transcribed quote.)
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