The curse of the Titanic

Nazi Titanic ine or a!hyped by the medi
Even 100 years after the sinking of the mammoth supposedly unsinkable ocean liner on its maiden trip, it still evokes emotion in some. Seriously, nobody actually knows whether the sentimentality is genuine or hyped by the media.
It must have left the same feeling among the Nazi sympathizers then. Even during the heights of the World War II, to highlight the cowardice, stupidity and greed of the British to the German public to justify their attack on the British soil, what better way do than to use this maritime blunder to their benefit through the propaganda tool which they have perfected, the silver screen.
The Nazi regime realize that using human drama with ability to create emotion was an excellent way to coax the German people to follow the party's agenda. They depicted a story of socially decadent society of Britain exploiting the transatlantic voyage for the pure purpose of profit without a care for the safety of its passengers. To show German true honesty, a fictitious character, a hero in the form of a know all German captain in included in the cast. He is the only person with a heart and tries to warn the danger of iceberg.
Joseph Goebbels, Hitler's propaganda minister, who is known for producing anti Semantic propaganda films is appointed to carry this task. Herbert Selpin, an accomplished director is given a massive budget to recreate the tragedy of the Titanic with the party agenda on mind. Walter Zerlatt-Olfenius, an old friend of Selpin is in turn selected to write the screenplay.
Germany in the early of 20th century was known as the Hollywood of Europe. Many of these movie makers like Billy Wilder and Fritz Lang were mostly Jewish. Turn of events in the 30s made these people to migrate en masse to America, explaining the conquer of Hollywood by them and their course.
Meanwhile, the flamboyant Selpin kept on demanding bigger budget and sets all in the name of party aspirations and Nazi ideology. He even demanded a real mammoth ship to depict the real Titanic at the height of war in sea and air front.

They managed to secure SS Cap Arcona in mid 1942 in spite of attacks by Allied Force into Germany.
Groebble's obsession with movies assured Selpin to get everything he wanted (money, wine, a luxurious hotel as base and even soldiers) as if there was no war whilst the rest of the country was under rationing.
Zellet, the screenwriter, a decorated nationalist war hero, a good friend of Selpin for years, gets into an argument over delay in production. Selpin ridicules the Army, the Nazi war efforts and even the Iron Cross and the Third Reich. Zellet, humiliated, reports the incidence to the Ministry. At that time, in this totalitarian country, everybody was reporting each other.
Selpin is interogerated by ministry and Goebbels. He stood on his ground and was imprisoned and had mysteriously hanged himself in custody. In spite of two years into production, the film was not fully ready.
Time goes on and money getting less as the war is not going Germany's way..
Hollywood joins the proganda chase after the Pearl Harbour bombing with movies like 'Casablanca'.
Another director is given the task of completing the movie.
Come December 1942, things are going terribly wrong for Germany. Groebbles who watches the movie 'Titanic' realizes that he had made a mistake. Too much had been lost - too much money, the life of director and the question of people dying seem of context as too many people in Germany had lost their loved ones and the idea of people dying might not resonate well with them. It was therefore never shown to German public. It was felt that Selpin had subtly mocking the Third Reich and his and Nazi policies through the characters in his 'Titanic'.
It was however screened in German's occupied territories and the movie became smashing blockbuster there.

J Bruce Ismay , Chairman of the White 

Star Line which operated the Titanic.

Before another propaganda movie can be produced to rectify the faux paus, Germany loses the war.
3 days after Hitler's demise, thousands of Jews are marched from concentration camps and placed on SS Cap Arcona (the same ship which used in filming) filled in inflammable gases and set on sail. The RAF planes fired at them thinking it was German war ship. The survivors of the wreckage were shot at by the the German soldiers.
The ironic of the story is that, just like the doomed original 'Titanic', the 'Nazi Titanic' seem to carry the same curse. On top of all that, the 'Nazi Titanic' actually brought down with it more lives than its predecessor (more than 4500 vs 1500) that it was suppose to depict!
In 1950, the edited version was finally shown to the German public with no mention of Selpin's effort. Now it is restored and Selpin is given credit as its director.

All talk only?

There is a saying, "Give an Indian a chance to talk and you will have a hard time trying to get the microphone back"! Well, it is not all that bad as you make good candidates of debates out of them. Whether they talk sense or otherwise is another issue.
I enjoy debates screened on the Tamil channels of the satellite TV which I have the luxury of watching on my off days as they are usually shown in the mornings. Their topics are things relevant to daily lives of an average man on the street of the streets of Tamil Nadu and boy, do the speakers articulate (?combat) with so much passion and fury! Unlike their counterparts in other channels, they do not generally discuss world current issues or politics. I suppose then, the passion will propel into a fiery display of unabated rage and emotion!
On Labour Day, there was a show along that line. The topic of the day was (translated) 'In our present day context and scenario, is living a luxury or a torture'.
One group stood steadfast on their belief, life is a continuous struggle. The older generation indeed had struggled all their life to assure a comfortable living for the present generation and the present one is also struggling to bring food to the dinner table sacrificing family bonds and relationship, continuing the never ending struggle of life. Man, as a creature would not stand happy with his achievements but continue to struggle to scale greater heights.
The opposing group, on the group, rebutted by highlighting that life had indeed been made simpler with many of man's modern inventions and used correctly does help in strengthening family bonds.
The joy of watching this show is the use of witty poetic language, their approach in rationalising and the thought process. Themes from Tamil movie, both movie dialogues and phrases from evergreen movie songs with advice on lessons of life which is essentially part and parcel of Tamil language landscape and development is quoted by either side to prove their point. it works both ways and everyone end up winners in the end!

When the going gets tough, the tough gets going!

So, the marathon training plan is going on as per schedule. This time around we hit 34km. My running buddy had a bad hair day, only that he had crawl over the last stretch due to cramps (tummy and leg). He is questioning the necessity for him to run the marathon in the first place. I think he will get over it. It is the talk of a man in pain from the agony of pain.
Come next week, he would be running at his usual rocket fuel infused pace.
Later in the day, I met a guy who has a colleague, a 56 year old, who had completed the Marathon des Sables. He was narrating his colleague's escapades and difficulties of completing the grueling race against the forces of nature. He ended the conversation by saying that he respected and saluted his achievement but would not dream of being in shoes! (Sure he would have lots of blisters and cuts)
It takes a kind of tenacious unwavering mental strength to stay strong and come out pretty at the end of the race!

When the going gets tough, the tough gets going!

Politics of gardening!

A pure, noble intention of beautifying a garden can upset many quarters. When some soul initiated the idea of decorating a portion of the garden, everyone agreed that it was a good idea. Then when the hat was passed around for kind contribution, the same people started telling about law and rights. The land belongs to the local county, and they do not see the rationale of parting with their moolah for somebody else's property. Some query why they others (so and so) are not paying. Some try the delay tactic and so forth. At the end of the day, the plan remained a plan until somebody started the ball rolling through his own pocket. The same minded individuals who cared for their living quarters by getting their hands dirty with a few helping hands. The product is seen in the picture here.

The controversy does not end here.

The Roman statue depicts a topless maiden cleaning her mane. It made its way from another well wisher's house but proved too provocative for some, probably giving vivid sleepless nights. Maybe, it was rejected from the well wisher's home for the same reason. The ladies of the house did not want to share the head of the house's undivided attention! Early one Sunday morning, the stony torso was draped in a worn-out t-shirt. I guess some Prince Charming would have manifested in the drape of the dark of the night to salvage the modesty of the damsel by covering her cleavage. Mama Mia!

Where would this lead to?

It is always challenging to get people to agree collectively on anything. Any decision by the majority will definitely upset the minority and depending on the scenario, they would rebel, start a rival or start a mutiny or even a revolution! To go around it, the concept of gazing into the crystal ball was initiated. A third person (in the form of an omnipotent alien force overlooking our every move and turning the tide to hurt the non-conformer was suggested) appealed for a short time. But then even amongst the same minded people, a disagreement occurred, and viola another off-shoot of the same movement manifested. Both parties think that they themselves are doing better! And the debate continues......

Found floating in cyberspace!

Written by Renee Talalla
She is a language teacher who is married to a retired member of the Malaysian Diplomatic Service

Tired, sleepy and aching all over, but have to write this down to get it out of the mind and system before I can sleep. So here is my account of Bersih 3 written at 11pm on 28 April 2012.

As law-abiding and not terribly brave senior citizens, we had opted out of Bersih 2 when it was banned, pronounced illegal, KL on lockdown etc. This time, like so many others, we decided we had to show our support for clean and fair elections. Needless to say we did not expect trouble, but prepared for it nevertheless - salt, wet towel etc in a backpack. We were confident the crowd would be disciplined and the police restrained after the debacle of Bersih 2.

At 10.30 am my husband and I caught the LRT to Pasar Seni. Packed train and the crowd chatty and friendly. From Pasar Seni at about 11am we strolled past the Central Market then along the embankment and down Tun Perak. Crowds gathering everywhere, standing around or sitting on kerbs along the road. We made our way through a very dense crowd near the corner of Tun Perak and Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman to find a place where we could sit that was raised a little above ground. [At 70 and husband almost 80, if we had tried to sit on the road or kerb we would have had great difficulty getting up again!].

Anyway, we found the ideal place. Three steps, then the pool of water below the water feature against a wall. Mostly occupied, but people made room for us. Standing on the second step we could see quite a bit. Could also sit on that step. One row of people behind us on the third step. It was cool and under shade. The perfect spot.

11.30; by now and the crowd was building up by the minute. I'd say 80% Malay, the rest Chinese with a smattering of Indians. We were getting more and more squashed, but could hold our excellent position. Very hungry by 1pm [forgot to bring food!] but could not move even 6 inches either way. I took pics. People as far as the eye could see in every direction. Perhaps about 40 or more rows of people in front of us - how dangerous this turned out to be later!

National anthem sung a few times and lots of chanting Bersih bersih, bebas bebas etc. All very pleasant despite the intense heat and hunger! Chatted with a 75 year-old smiley Malay pak chik who had come that morning from Pahang. A tundunged mak chik near me had come from Trengganu. Both simple folk,without too many words exchanged we felt the bond of being there for a common cause.

We couldn't hear the speeches that were made sporadically and too many people in front of us to see who was speaking etc. But had good view of the WALL of police facing us along the front of Dataran.

One small thing that speaks volumes about the discipline of the crowd up till the panic began: thousands were sitting and standing before us, yet hardly anyone smoked. I had read it was one of the things NOT to do. That instruction was largely obeyed. Smokers would know how amazing that is; three to four hours of waiting with a certain degree of tension and excitement yet such restraint!

At about 2.30 Anwar made a speech, less than 5 mins, to much cheering, standing on some raised platform. Could see him but could not hear. Anwar finished and must have left. Could hear chanting BUKA BUKA BUKA. Suddenly saw frontlines moving forward towards Dataran just near where Anwar had been, and police RUNNING back. From our position it looked like they were really opening the barrier and letting the crowd into Dataran. Everyone near us cheered loudly and happily at this miraculous development!

Suddenly all hell broke loose. Without any warning [that we could hear], the water cannons fired and simultaneously tear gas was lobbed right into the thousands in front of us. I thought we were so far back nothing would happen - the police would stop those who had gone past the barrier and the sit-in would continue or soon be over.

How wrong!!! They kept firing the tear gas canisters many many times right into the crowd - no break to allow people to run away. Pop pop pop they went, smoke everywhere. People running in every direction to get away. Hundreds came towards us - remember we were the very back line against a water feature and wall!! Nowhere to go and wedged in by hundreds of stampeding and panicked people. More and more who were gassed were coming at us to get to the pool below the water feature. We could not even get down off the two steps let alone get out our salt and towel etc. Panicked crowd pushed us and the others on the steps down and crawled their way over our bodies to get to the water. My husband was flat on his back, sprawled across the steps and couldn't even sit up. I was pushed half into the pool, backpack and all. I somehow managed to crawl out of the pool, tried to help him sit up but couldn't. Too many people climbing over us. By this time the tear gas had reached us too. Blinded and retching, coughing etc. Could not breathe or see to get out of there even if we weren't being pushed and shoved backwards.

After some terrifying moments, the mass of people cleared and we got up and off the steps. With streaming eyes, coughing and spluttering, we tried to get away from the Dataran area. Stumbled our way to the back but met with more tear gas coming now from the Jalan Raja Laut area. Nowhere to run. How to disperse? Why were they trapping people by firing from front and back? Such confusion for everyone fleeing and not knowing where to run.

Seeing our distress, some young Chinese came and gave us salt, calmed us down saying 'don't run, just stay here, it will pass'. So we stayed put in midst of tear gas clouds and true enough the minute you put salt on tongue the symptoms subsided quite a bit. Then some Malays who had taken refuge behind parked cars below in a little vacant lot behind Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman called out to us "auntie uncle mari sini mari sini". We staggered over to them. They gave us water and more salt and were so caring. From behind the car we watched people running everywhere with police chasing them. We decided we were staying crouched behind the cars till things cleared. Our companions all eventually left. We were alone in an eerie sort of calm.

Finally a bunch of policemen came by and saw us. One young lout yelled rudely MARI SINI. My husband walked slowly towards them but the lout kept shouting at me. I then walked slowly towards him and said softly, jangan bising, kenapa bising, itu kurang ajar. He looked like he would have hit me. Luckily a police officer came up and said gently 'come with us'. I asked, 'Will we be safe?' 'Yes yes he said, we'll take you out'. 'So tell your man to stop shouting'. I said. And he did! The lout walked off.

We were escorted out near the Dataran and allowed to go. Police were everywhere escorting detainees and we were regarded with much suspicion by police and onlookers!! We made our way to the Selangor club. The gates were shut. We had to produce our membership card before they would let us in. What a sight we must have looked!! Wet, red-eyed and bedraggled. Rushed to the restroom and got out of wet bersih tees, dried the hair, [luckily we both had brought extra tee shirts.] Cleaned up as best we could and then sat down to tea and sandwiches, first food since b'fast. Good to feel civilised again!!. Now about 4 pm.

Around five we decided to catch the LRT home. Well, another drama! Cops everywhere outside Selangor club, lounging about smoking etc. Politely this time one said in Malay, 'sorry uncle all roads to LRTs closed'. 'How do we get home?, we asked. He shrugged apologetically and pointed down Jalan Raja Laut. Along the way, helpful people told us the only way out was the commuter train. Sogo, Masjid Jamek, and Pasar Seni LRT stations were all out of bounds.

Quite a walk along Raja Laut, then a climb up a steep hill, no real path, and finally climb over railings to get to the train. Couldn't use overhead bridge as roads were blocked by police. All the way we were helped by young Chinese and Malays, pushing us from behind and dragging us ahead up the hill and over the railings! Amazing feeling and worth the whole nasty experience to experience this kindness from strangers. The train to Sentral and then the LRT to PJ were jam packed. Again the shared experience bonded everyone, young and old, all sharing what they had gone through to the strangers next to them. Everyone stunned at the force and extent of police reaction just because some had breached the barrier.

Only at home were the aches and pains noticed and felt! Far worse though was the mental shock that our POLICE would endanger the lives of young and old. They knew the crowd was so dense that escape was extremely difficult. They wanted us to disperse so why trap people in the middle by firing tear gas from the front and from behind too? And why were they chasing after people trying to get away from the gas? Old people, women and children had to run for their lives. It was not an illegal assembly, and they had succeeded in driving the crowd away from Dataran. Why then keep chasing all down the roads and alleys? Why close off the LRT stations so people could not leave for home easily? So many unanswered questions. It didn't make sense.

But, I'm so glad to have done this - an eye-opener of how Malaysia could be, no race or religion mattered. People came to our aid. Most touching were the young Malay and Chinese boys and girls who tried to help us. The best and worst of human nature was on display.We are okay. My husband lost his towel and hat and has some scraped skin on his leg. It could have been so much worse. He got up and went to church at 6.30 this morning! All is well. So much to celebrate about Malaysia!

We ourselves are changed forever - less fearful now and if such a call were to come again from Civil Society, God Willing, we shall be better prepared to respond!

At a time when everyone was courteous!

The Heiress (1949)
Set at a time 100 years ago before electricity and electric lights were discovered and horse carriage was the mode of transport of the day, it is a story of an aged spinster, her find of love and the friction with her father.

Katherine Sloper (Olivia de Havilland, won an Oscar for this role), the only child of Dr. Slocum is at a slightly over the marriageable age at that era.
Her father still lives dreaming about his deceased wife and compares his daughter to be inferior to her in every way - grace, beauty, intelligence and charm. Matchmaking through parties seem to futile until comes along Morris Townsend, acted by Montgomery Clift, who plays the powerful role of a pastor in Alfred Hitchcock's 'Confession' .
Townsend takes keen interest on Katherine but not to the liking of her father. He feels that Townsend is only interested in her inheritance.
The father disapproves his hand in marriage and takes her on a 6month European tour in the hope that Katherine would forget him but in vain.

Montgomery Clift

Upon return, a confrontation erupts, father threatens denial of inheritance, Katherine plans to elope with her lover boy but Townsend never turns up. Soon father dies and Katherine become the sole heiress to the father's money.
Many years later, Townsend shows up, still made good of himself. He alleges that he sacrificed his love previously so as not sour her relationship with her father. Katherine would not buy his story- she avenges him by agreeing to elope with him once again just like before but just let him bang on her bolted front door calling out her name whilst she haughtily walks up the stairs to her bedroom. The End.
I swear that the main soundtrack sounds very much like Elvis Presley's 'Can't Help Falling in Love' or rather vice versa. 

Verdict: No groundbreaking effort but entertaining though especially when one enjoys dialogue of a time when people were extremely courteous to each other.

From Mesopotamia with love!

Nader and Simin: A Separation (2012)
Suppression of expression, oppression, restriction and poverty are said to be strong motivators for artistic expressions. If that is true, then looking at the number of good films and great directors being churned out of Iran since the days of the Shah, you would be forgiven if you thought that living condition in that country was appalling and has not changed.
This movie, a winner of the Foreign Film category of the Academy, starts with a couple (Nader and Simin) at divorce court applying for a divorce. Simin (the wife) wants to leave the country for better life for her and their 11 year old daughter whilst Nader (husband) refuses to barge as he has to care for his father with Alzheimer's Disease. Nader also refuses to allow his daughter to migrate. Simin leaves her husband to stay with her family.

After finding high and low for domestic help to care for the father, Nader finally hires Houjat, a financially challenged lady with a short tempered and debt stricken husband to help out. Her first day of work proved too challenging for Houjat. She discovers that the Nader's father is also incontinent and she had to clean him up. It poses a challenge and she actually calls the religious hotline to clarify whether it was a sin to clean him up!

She suggests Nader to hire her cobbler husband instead. Unfortunately, the husband is arrested he following day and Houjat had to return to work the next day.

Houjat brings her young daughter to work as well. While cleaning her up, she discovers that the old man had left the flat. She manages to locate him in the streets and bring him home.

On the following day, Nader and his daughter come home to a locked flat with his father restrained to the bed but had fallen off the bed. Houjat returns much later to an angry Nader who accuses her of neglect and stealing some petty cash (was actually taken by his wife earlier to pay some movers) and pushes her out of the flat.

The next thing Nader hears is that Houjat is in hospital fighting for her life after having a miscarriage. Nader is looking at 1 to 3 years of imprisonment for indirectly causing a death of a 19week old foetus. A court hearing (a very informal one) is arranged. This is where the real story of the movie and issues crop up. Nader claims that he did not know that Houjat was pregnant whilst his daughter knows that he knew before hand. There is unresolved issues between daughter and father on morality, telling the truth, how law interprets the 'truth', the reality of  the uncared ailing father, etcetera. Simin returns home to help out the husband's problem.

After much anger and drama, Simin arranges for monetary compensation for Houjat and family. Nader, initially reluctant on the fear of admission of guilt, relents but with the condition that Houjat swears on the Quran that his pushing from the flat actually caused the miscarriage! Houjat crumbles. She refuses, even at the insistence of her husband to just swear and take the money, fearing curse befell on her daughter. Apparently, the day before the incident, while trying to locate Nader's father on the road and pulling him off the busy street, she was hit by a car. She felt pain that night and was the reason for her disappearance on the day in question - to consult a doctor!
The charges were all withdrawn.

In the next scene, Nader, Simin and their daughter are back in the divorce court. The daughter is asked to choose to stay with either of the parent. She requests to state her preference without her parents in the room. Nader and Simin wait outside the room while the closing credits roll in...... The end.

A gripping film without the usual unnecessary exposure of aurat. Also missing are the overacting and melodramatic overhype of most Indian movies are guilty of. The plus point of the movie is simple story and the intricate complexities tied to it. In life, there is no clear demarcation of who is good and who is bad. People do what they do based what is available to them and the turmoils that revolve around their daily lives.
Maybe my wife would not like it - no good looking guys, no flashy clothes, no flesh to show, no set dance, no dancing music....

99% fresh rating on 'Rotten Tomatoes'