The go-to fiction of yesteryear

Brothers Karamazov (1958)

Fyodor Dostoyevsky's writings during the Russian Golden Age of Literature have been referred to as a go-to place by many great icons of the world. At times of uncertainties, Einstien used to read Dostoyevsky for clarity. Nietzsche defined him as the only psychologist that he needed. Dostoyevsky inspired many writers like Hemmingway and Kafka. Akira Kurosawa made movies based on one of his stories (The Idiot). Osho (aka Bhagwan Sri Rajneesh) described the profound moral and philosophical messages in Dostoyevsky's 'Brother Karamozov' comparable to the Bible.

This story tells the story of Fyodor Karamazov, a high spirited widowed father who enjoys the more beautiful things in life - wine, music and women, especially a lady, Grushenka, who runs a tavern. Fyodor has four adult sons, each with their own personality traits. He is very tight-fisted with his money. Dimitri, the eldest, an ex-army, has a penchant for money and also an eye on Grushenka. But Dimitri has a suitor, Katya, a rich heiress who is rooting for him but he is not interested. The second son, Ivan, is an intellectual, a newspaperman and an atheist. He has the soft spots for Katya but sadly unrequited. The third son, Alexi, is a priest who is the peacemaker of the family who sees the good in everybody. The last one is actually Fyodor's illegitimate and epileptic son, Smerdyakov. He functions as the butler and yearns for his father unconditional love but sadly what he gets in return are hurls of insult.

Smerdyakov plans to murder his father, executes it but circumstances caused Dimitri to be accused of it. Ivan, who knew of Smerdyakov's intention but did not do anything to stop it is made to feel guilty. Meanwhile, Alexi is holding the whole family on a tightrope. Grushenka and Katya show their ugly side to win their love.

It is said that the film failed to capture the intellectual, philosophical, and spiritual essence of the book. This is expected as it is not possible to show all the emotions and the soliloquy that occurs within oneself in this two-hour presentation.

Many of these topics are dealt with superficially to maintain its entertainment value.

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Dealing with the hard knocks

The Men (1950)

Before being hit by the events of the School of Hard Knocks, we all have dreams. We all have expectations in life. At times of weakness influenced by impulse or the foolhardy of the spring of youth, we commit ourselves into things. Matters of the heart are not easy to back off. The entangling strings of emotion come in the way.

So what do we when reality suddenly hits our faces? What to do when it dawns upon us that we had been given the raw of the bargain? Do we decide to clean the slate, clear our plates of the dish that we chose and try a completely new cuisine?

Do we just cry in silence over the wrong decision, embrace our misjudgement and make the best of what we have or cut our losses and absolve ourselves of the union?

This is the undertone of the movie ‘The Men’ made in 1950 as I saw it. This film is, however, is a tribute to all the military men who, after fighting wars with sword, guns, and bombs, have to combat their inner demons with the after-effects of their duels. Things like post-traumatic stress disorder, loss of limb and limb functions and the general change in the outlook of life are inevitable for combatants. In ‘The Men’, the main character, Ben (Marlon Brando in his debutant role), is paralysed from the waist down after being shot in the back. The story centres around his coming to terms with his disability, moving on with his life despite his accident. A good portion of the film highlights his acceptance of his sweetheart’s proposal of marriage fearing an inability to fulfill his manly duties.

An interesting thing that is visible here is how doctors and patients alive smoke in the hospital premises, be it wards or clinic, without a care.

Just like the girl who keeps on complaining that she has no shoes to wear is humbled by seeing another person with no legs, the protagonist comes to terms when his treating doctor narrates his sob story. The doctor’s wife, a paraplegic after a motor vehicle accident, died after complications of her condition. The good doctor long every day to have a single vision of his ill wife waiting for him at home, but he no, he cannot. It is better to appreciate what is around then to yearn for the unattainable.

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Are we any different?

Scorpion Orchid (2001)

Lloyd Fernando

Everybody has their perception of what is right and what is wrong. People feel that their point of view is correct and they cannot fathom why the other cannot appreciate what is as simple as night and day. Why are they so dumb? Why do they do what they do?

This book which is set in the 1950s Singapore in the midst of social unrest. The country, which started as a confluence of races had prospered significantly. Every race had their idea of what success is. As long as each other had the liberty to do their thing, everyone was happy. The precarious balance just needs a slight jolt for the status quo to be tilted. This tipping is what happened in this historical tale.

Four young men, Santhi, Guan Kheng, Sabran and Peter, friends from Sixth Form find themselves in the middle of a riot. There is widespread turmoil in the city-state. Singaporeans state their dissatisfactions to the colonial masters, the British, for their control of the economy. The natives were demonstrating against a colonial company. The strikes progressed into a full-fledged mob situation, and the whole city is under siege. Locals attack whites and anyone who appear Caucasian, including those of mixed parentage. Peter is of Portuguese ancestry.

In the midst of this turmoil, four friends and another common friend, Sally @ Salmah, try to understand what it means for people of different backgrounds and origins with different cultures to live together under a falsehood of nationhood. Are we just putting up a front of cooperation and mutual respect when the going is good? Can this understanding withstand the test of time or the turn of tides? Are we quick to blame the bogeyman or blame an outside element for our shortcomings just to ignore our faults?

On the other hand, are we so different from each other? When you remove the particular item that stereotypes us, it may be difficult to tell us apart, as in the case of Sally who was actually Salmah with a checkered past. It also shows us how different people deal with a threat to their motherland. Some have one foot on their new found homeland and the other on the place of origin. At the slight hint of upheaval, they are the first to scoot off. Then they are those who know no other place to call home. They would go the whole nine yards, putting their life and future on the line, for the glory of the only country they know as home. Which one are you?